Ukraine, Slovakia PMs seek to cool tensions amid diplomatic row
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Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal (right) hosted Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico in the Ukrainian town of Uzhhorod, close to the countries’ shared border, for a summit designed to cool tensions.
PHOTO: X/DENYS SHMYHAL
KYIV - Ukraine and Slovakia on Jan 24 pledged to strengthen ties between the two countries, even as they acknowledged disagreements amid a simmering diplomatic row.
Relations have soured after populist Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico won elections in the EU and Nato member on an anti-Ukraine platform.
He has since angered Kyiv with a number of inflammatory comments over Russia’s invasion and questioned Western support for Kyiv.
Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal hosted Mr Fico on Jan 24 in the Ukrainian town of Uzhhorod, close to the countries’ shared border, for a summit designed to cool tensions.
In a joint statement after the meeting, the two countries said they were determined to “further strengthen interstate relations on the basis of mutual trust and respect.”
The tone marked a departure from Mr Fico’s comments on the eve of the meeting, in which he questioned Ukraine’s sovereignty and called for Kyiv to cede territory to Moscow to end the war – something Ukraine has repeatedly ruled out.
Concerns are growing in the West over flagging enthusiasm in some capitals for supporting Kyiv, almost two years after Russia invaded.
Populist leaders in Europe, such as in Slovakia and Hungary, have grown increasingly tired of the grinding conflict and Kyiv’s urgent requests for tens of billions of euros in support.
A €50 billion (S$70 billion) financial aid package for Ukraine is currently being held up in Brussels after being blocked by Hungary.
According to Mr Shmyhal, his counterpart on Jan 23 said Slovakia would support the disbursement of EU aid to Ukraine and would allow Kyiv to buy weapons and equipment from Slovak arms producers “on a commercial basis.”
Despite the conciliatory tone at the summit, in a video message published later on Jan 23, Mr Fico said the two countries continued to have “quite different opinions on some topics.”
“I reiterated that I do not believe in a military solution to this conflict,” Mr Fico said.
He also said Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s plan for peace, based on Russia withdrawing its troops and Ukraine not giving up any land, was “not realistic”.
Mr Fico said Slovakia would veto Ukraine becoming a member of the Nato military alliance should it ever get to that stage while he is in office, but was backing Kyiv’s bid for EU membership. AFP
