"Not Sane"... Assessment of Trump by EU Leader Who Met Him

Slovak Prime Minister Comments After Mar-a-Lago Meeting
Tells EU Leaders Trump’s Psychological State Is "Dangerous"
White House Dismisses as "Fake News"

Remarks questioning the mental health of U.S. President Donald Trump have recently drawn attention after being made by the leader of a European Union (EU) member state who met him in person.

Donald Trump, President of the United States. Photo by AP Yonhap News

On January 27 (local time), Yonhap News, citing U.S. political media outlet Politico, reported that Robert Fico, Prime Minister of Slovakia, assessed President Trump as "not sane" after meeting with him on the 17th of this month.

According to the report, Prime Minister Fico met President Trump at his private residence, the Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida, and after their conversation, conveyed remarks to other EU leaders to that effect. He expressed this view during a small group meeting at the EU emergency summit held in Brussels, Belgium, on January 22. This assessment was made known to the public through multiple anonymous diplomats.

Diplomats told Politico that Prime Minister Fico expressed concerns about President Trump's psychological state, describing him as "dangerous." However, Fico did not mention President Trump's mental health during the official meeting attended by all 26 EU leaders.

The summit was convened to discuss countermeasures after President Trump pushed for the annexation of Greenland, a Danish territory, and warned that he could impose high tariffs on EU countries.

Robert Fico, Prime Minister of Slovakia. Photo by Reuters Yonhap News

Politico noted that Fico's remarks attracted attention because he has maintained a relatively close relationship with President Trump among EU leaders. Despite being the leader of an EU member state, he has openly supported President Trump's "America First" policy and has shown skepticism toward many EU policies that emphasize the values of liberal democracy.

In particular, Prime Minister Fico has partly embraced President Trump's pro-Russian approach regarding Russia's invasion of Ukraine, leading the European Commission and major European countries to view him as a burdensome figure.

The White House immediately denied the report. White House spokesperson Anna Kelly told Politico, "This is absolutely false fake news coming from anonymous European diplomats seeking attention," adding, "The Mar-a-Lago meeting at the time was positive and productive."

Separate from Fico's remarks, concerns are reportedly growing among European leaders about President Trump's unpredictable behavior. An EU official stated that cases where President Trump's health becomes a serious topic of discussion in meetings between the European Commission and member state governments are rapidly increasing.

Born in June 1946 and now 79 years old, President Trump has continually faced rumors about his health since taking office. He has repeatedly emphasized that there are no problems with his mental health and, in a recent interview with New York Magazine, insisted that he has no conditions affecting his cognitive abilities.