Slovakia’s populist Prime Minister Robert Fico has congratulated Elon Musk on dismantling the United States Agency for International Development and called on Musk to share information with him about USAID funding in Slovakia.

“Dear Mr. Minister Elon Musk, I am congratulating you on your appointment and the decision you are making. The signalled dismantling of USAID agency is touching on internal affairs of the Slovak Republic as well,” Fico stated on his Facebook before building upon his earlier claims of alleged “coup” against his left-right government to include USAID.

“It is doubtless that financial resources from USAID were used in Slovakia also for political goals of deforming the political system and giving advantage of selected political parties,” Fico claimed without providing any evidence for his allegations.

As Fico’s fragmented ruling coalition teetered on the verge of parliamentary majority amid internal rows and faced renewed mass protests against his pro-Kremlin turn, Fico claimed last month that a “coup” is unfolding in Slovakia involving NGOs, “funding from abroad,” and opposition leading centrist party Progressive Slovakia.

Fico later extended his allegation of meddling in Slovak internal affairs to the “Czech media” and  “Czech politicians” as well as to Ukrainian nationals and Georgian Legions fighting alongside Ukrainian forces against the Russian invading army. Fico made frequent references to Maidan, aligning his rhetoric with Kremlin propaganda.

In his letter to Musk, he also asked the South African oligarch to share “available information about subsidies and grants offered to non-government organisations (NGOs), media and individual journalists, who were and are active on the territory of the Slovak Republic.”

Fico claimed “several million US dollars” were spent by USAID “on these subjects” in “a relatively short period,” before he concluded that “I am ready to meet in person so we could also discuss other projects mutually advantageous for Slovak-American relations.”

Fico stepped up his conspiratory and pro-Kremlin rhetoric in recent weeks to mobilise his supporters while it remains unclear whether he will be able to hold his fragile ruling coalition together and avoid the prospect of early elections.          

In the latest development, Roman Michelko legislator elected on the far right SNS list, which is the smallest coalition party next to Fico’s Smer and conservative centre-left Hlas, suggested that control of some of the ministries could be shared by several ruling coalition parties as part of the looming cabinet reshuffle to accommodate rebelling legislators.