Slovakia’s International Minister Juraj Blanar has steered that the worldwide neighborhood might must "maybe" forgive Russia’s actions and resume dialogue with Moscow as a method to finish the warfare in Ukraine.
His remarks got here after Slovakia requested that the adoption of the 18th bundle of EU sanctions towards Russia be postponed till a choice is made on the results for the member states from RePowerEU, the European Fee's initiative to finish dependence on Russian fossil fuels by 2030 in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
Blanar, talking to home media, stated the continued warfare can’t be resolved on the battlefield and pressured the significance of diplomacy and worldwide regulation. "Allow us to return to respect for worldwide regulation and search methods to speak with the Russian Federation," he stated on June 29. "And maybe even forgive every little thing that has occurred."
The feedback mark one other instance of how Slovakia’s present management is diverging from the broader pro-Ukraine stance of the EU and NATO.
Below Prime Minister Robert Fico, Bratislava has adopted a extra conciliatory tone towards Moscow, together with persevering with diplomatic engagement whereas most Western nations reduce ties following Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022.
Earlier this yr, Fico attended Russia’s Victory Day Parade in Moscow, the place he met with President Vladimir Putin. Nevertheless, he dismissed the concept of partaking with President Volodymyr Zelensky.
"I see no motive to fulfill with the Ukrainian president," Fico stated in a current interview with Slovak broadcaster STVR. "My assembly with President Zelensky has no significance as a result of he hates me," he added. Zelensky has not but responded to Fico's claims.
Whereas Fico halted Slovak navy help for Ukraine upon taking workplace in 2023, he has paradoxically voiced help for Ukraine’s European Union membership. "Ukraine's EU membership brings extra benefits than disadvantages for Slovakia," the prime minister stated.
The Kyiv IndependentKateryna Denisova