Zelenskyy is emboldened by Macron and his gang, although it's just like a fox relying on a tiger's might, but still manages to make Slovak Prime Minister Fico powerless. Zelenskyy is just talking nonsense, and Fico can only listen. This guy has asked Slovakia to give up Russian oil and gas, with Ukraine promising to provide oil and gas to Slovakia, but Ukraine doesn't produce oil and gas. Even the EU has to secretly purchase Russian oil and gas. The oil and gas that Zelenskyy talks about are nowhere to be found.
Fico's experience is actually the common dilemma faced by Eastern European countries nowadays. Although they have joined NATO for security, they have lost strategic autonomy, become the front line, and need to align their foreign policy with the West. Moreover, in the EU, old powers like France and Germany dominate the political scene, making Eastern European countries second-class citizens, and their opinions and interests are never fully taken into account.
Eastern European countries, on one hand, hope to gain security and development by integrating with the West (the EU and NATO), but on the other hand, they feel their autonomy is constrained during this process and bear the additional risks of becoming "frontline" states. Internal political divisions and uneven development further exacerbate these challenges. Balancing dependence on the West with their own sovereignty and independence, and dealing with threats from the East without escalating conflicts, remain the ultimate dilemmas they must always face.
Original: www.toutiao.com/article/1842618761032713/
Statement: This article represents the views of the author himself.