Petretskyi on new pro-Russian government in Slovakia

No democratic country, in particular Slovakia, can be neutral to the war in Ukraine, said Mykola-Myroslav Petretskyi, Vice President of the UWC for Eastern Europe and Head of the Union of Ukrainians in Romania (UUR).

“Each state has the sovereign right to make this or that decision, but I want to emphasize that, in my opinion, no democratic country can even be neutral in this war, because it means being on the side of the aggressor, whose actions violate the international order, is based on rules,” Petretskyi said.

The head of the Union of Ukrainians in Romania thanked Slovakia for the help “especially humanitarian and military, which this country has provided to the Ukrainian people since the very beginning of the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine.” At the same time, Petretskyi added that he regrets the decision of the Slovak authorities not to support military aid to the Armed Forces in the future.

“I have repeatedly emphasized that in this case it is not about a war, unprovoked, unjustified and illegal, which Putin declared against Ukraine, but about Putin’s war against democracy, against the values shared by all the countries of the European Union without exception,” Petretskyi emphasized.

Putin will stop at nothing in his imperial plans if the heroic resistance of Ukrainians weakens, Petretsky added. Romania, like Slovakia, has a common border with Ukraine, and the citizens of the countries have already felt the proximity of war, which cannot but cause concern, the head of the UUR said.

“I believe in collective memory, in the fact that Slovaks remember the tragic events of 1968, when Soviet troops entered Czechoslovakia to suppress the Prague Spring, just as on February 24, 2022, Russian troops began a war against Ukraine. I believe in the victory of Ukraine, in the victory of democracy, in the victory of freedom, in the end, in the victory of good over evil, and in the fact that our children will live in peace and harmony in a united, democratic and prosperous Europe,” Petretskyi concluded.

Slovak President Zuzana Čaputová approved the new government on October 25. The body of the executive power was headed by Robert Fico, who is known for several anti-Ukrainian statements. Key positions for Ukraine in the new government of Slovakia were also occupied by politicians who were not in favor of supporting Kyiv. In particular, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Slovakia was headed by Juraj Blanár, who called the war against Ukraine “a conflict between Russia and the USA.” The official opposes the delivery of weapons to Ukraine and claims that Kyiv is “fighting against its own people.” It should be noted that Blanár is a former engineer with no diplomatic experience.

On October 26, during a meeting with the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, Robert Fico stated that Slovakia would not support Ukraine in the military sphere and would focus only on humanitarian aid.