Russia's president said Thursday that Slovakia had offered to be a “platform” for possible peace negotiations on Ukraine, almost three years after Russia began its assault on the country.
Published on 27/12/2024 15:49
Updated on 27/12/2024 15:54
Reading time: 1min
Will peace between kyiv and Moscow be played out in Slovakia? After Russian President Vladimir Putin praised the “neutral position” of the country in the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, judging “acceptable” that Bratislava provides a “platform” for possible discussions, Slovak Foreign Minister Juraj Blanar said on Friday, December 27 “[offrir] Slovak soil for such negotiations”.
In a message published overnight from Thursday to Friday on Facebook, the head of Slovak diplomacy called for such talks to be held “with the participation of all parties and therefore also of Russia.” A statement which directly refers to the summit which took place in June, in Switzerland, in the absence of Russian representatives. “We consider the Russian president's statement as a positive signal to end this war, bloodshed and destruction as quickly as possible,” wrote Juraj Blanar again. According to him, Bratislava thus informed its “Ukrainian partners” of his availability for peace negotiations.
Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico, one of the very few European leaders remaining close to the Kremlin, met Vladimir Putin in Moscow on Sunday, angering Kiev.
Although Slovakia is a member of the European Union and NATO, it has moved closer to Russia, espousing the Hungarian position, since the return to power of the nationalist Robert Fico in the fall of 2023. The latter stopped any military aid to Ukraine and accuses Kiev of endangering his country's supply of Russian gas, which he wishes to continue to buy.
