Politico: Fico tells Europeans he's concerned about Trump's mental state

Prime Minister of Slovakia Robert Fico told European Union leaders at last week's summit that he was shocked by the state of the US president's mind, Donald Trump. This was reported by the newspaper Politico citing five European diplomats familiar with the conversation.

The article says that Fico, one of the few EU leaders who often supports Trump's position on Europe's weaknesses, was concerned about the US president's "psychological state," two diplomats said.

Two other interlocutors added that the Slovak prime minister used the word "dangerous" to describe the impression he made on the US president during their personal meeting in Mar-a-Lago, Florida, on January 17.

The conversation between Fico and his European counterparts took place in Brussels on January 22 on the sidelines of an emergency EU summit organized to discuss transatlantic relations after Trump's threats to take control of Greenland.

The leaders used the meeting to try to calm tensions after the US president backed off his threat to impose tariffs on some European countries over the issue a day earlier.

The Slovak prime minister made his remarks during a separate informal meeting between some leaders and top EU officials, not during the official roundtable talks, diplomats said. Although none of the diplomats who spoke to the media were present, some leaders briefed them on the content of the conversation shortly afterward.

All of the interlocutors said they did not know the details of what Trump said to Fico that caused this reaction. Fico's comments are particularly relevant because he is one of Trump's biggest supporters in Europe, expressing support for Washington's approach to the Russia-Ukraine war.

Fico's spokesman did not respond to numerous requests for comment. At the same time, the White House called the story "fake news" from "anonymous European diplomats trying to draw attention to themselves." They called the meeting positive and productive.

A senior administration official who attended the meeting said he could not recall any awkward moments or uncomfortable exchanges.

Fico, according to one European diplomat, was "traumatized" by the meeting with Trump. The Slovakian prime minister characterized the US leader as "crazy," the source said, using words recounted by a leader who was directly involved in the conversation.

Fico's personal concerns contrast with the public account of his visit to Mar-a-Lago that he gave on social media. He said that the discussions focused on issues such as Ukraine, claiming that Washington had sought his opinion because Slovakia "is not a parrot of Brussels," meaning it does not repeat the positions of EU institutions.

Even without Fico's comments, European leaders and officials are increasingly concerned about the US president's "unpredictability," according to a sixth EU diplomat who was not briefed by the leader on last week's conversation.

Concerns about the US president's health are "rapidly becoming a topic of discussion at all levels," the EU official said. the 79-year-old Trump has repeatedly denied having any illnesses affecting his cognitive function, saying in an interview with New York Magazine that he does not have Alzheimer's disease.

• April 11, 2025 Trump passed annual medical examination, its report is the first public information about the health of a politician after attempted assassination in July 2024.
• Later, the White House stated that US president "remains in excellent health."