Slovakia’s pro-Russian prime minister has raised the prospect of his country leaving the European Union and Nato, arguing that world events could consign them to the “history books”.

“It is true that the EU and Nato are our vital space, but no one will prevent us from warning Slovakia about various risks,” Robert Fico wrote in a statement, drawing sharp condemnation from other parties in his country.

Michal Simecka, the leader of the opposition, accused him of laying the ground to take the country out of the EU, and launched an attempt to dismiss the Leftist-nationalist government in a no-confidence vote on Tuesday.

The effort to topple the government looked doomed to fail as its slim majority in parliament was expected to back Mr Fico, whose anti-EU rhetoric has strained relations with Western allies.

He has halted military aid to Ukraine and criticised Western sanctions against the Kremlin since returning to power in 2023. In December, he met Vladimir Putin in Moscow.