Saturday, 15 March 2025
Slovak Minister of the Interior and party chairman Matúš Šutaj Eštok stated that in the event of peace in Ukraine, the interests of Slovakia and the United States are in alignment. He made the remarks during a political discussion on television, emphasizing that the European Union must return to its original negotiation formats and that all member states should be involved in the process.
“When I see some enchantment by Trump on the Slovak scene, we must realize that many interests are contrary to those of the Slovak Republic, for example, in tariffs. But on the subject of peace in Ukraine, its national interests are absolutely consistent with what Slovakia also wants,” Šutaj Eštok said.
The opposition leader of the Progressive Slovakia (PS) movement, Michal Šimečka, countered by asserting that Ukraine must be stronger in negotiations with Russia to secure a fair and stable peace. He argued that military support for Ukraine is necessary to achieve this. “The minister said a while ago that Ukraine and Russia should sit down at the negotiating table, but President Putin does not want Ukraine at the table because he only deals with Trump. That is the obstacle to peace – Vladimir Putin,” Šimečka added.
He further criticized the Slovak government for not actively participating in discussions on Europe’s future security framework. “It is not true that Slovakia is only absent from today’s summit in London. Three weeks ago, there was a dinner of European leaders where the Slovak prime minister did not attend, even though he was invited,” he said.
Šutaj Eštok reiterated that the European Union should return to its traditional negotiation structures, ensuring that all member states are involved. “If we go down the path of selective engagement, where I call these friends of mine and not others, then we are heading towards a divided Europe,” he warned.
Source: TASR
