In accordance with Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal, his Slovak counterpart Robert Fico assured him that Bratislava will proceed to assist Ukraine’s accession to the EU and won’t block €50 billion in EU monetary support, regardless of Fico’s earlier harsh rhetoric in the direction of Kyiv.
The assembly between the Slovak and Ukrainian prime ministers on Wednesday (24 January) got here after a number of statements by Fico that forged doubt on Bratislava’s willingness to assist Ukraine as he declared that Ukraine was “not a sovereign nation” and insisted that “it should quit a part of its territory to Russia”.
In a ultimate doc signed by the 2 prime ministers within the border city of Uzhhorod, nonetheless, Fico took the alternative strategy, stating that each nations are prepared for additional cooperation geared toward restoring Ukraine’s territorial integrity and sovereignty.
The joint doc additionally states that Slovakia will proceed to assist Ukraine’s integration and take part in its reconstruction.
“Regardless of the disagreement, we intend to type a coverage of ‘new pragmatism’ with the federal government of Slovakia, which is able to profit each states. I’m positive that at present’s assembly with Prime Minister Fico will open a brand new web page in our relationships,” Shmyhal commented.
Shmyhal confirmed that Fico had assured him of Slovakia’s continued assist for his nation’s EU membership bid, in addition to a €50 billion monetary bundle from the EU. In accordance with the Ukrainian prime minister, Fico doesn’t intend to hinder industrial arms provides both.
Ukrainian fears
The Ukrainian authorities had been anxious concerning the assembly given the Slovak prime minister’s harsh rethoric in opposition to Kyiv.
The day earlier than arriving in Ukraine (23 January), requested by a Slovak journalist why he was not assembly his Ukrainian counterpart in Kyiv, Fico snapped:
“Do you actually suppose there’s a warfare in Kyiv? Are you kidding me? Simply go there and you will note, persons are dwelling completely regular lives there.”
His assertion got here after Russia launched one other missile assault on Ukraine the identical day, and he confronted an air raid throughout his go to to Uzhhorod, on the western Slovak-Ukrainian border.
Fico’s controversial rhetoric raised questions on whether or not the assembly ought to happen in any respect. Ukrainian MP Oleksandr Merezhko even known as for the go to to be cancelled.
Ukrainian analyst Dmytro Tuzhansky instructed Denník N that relations between Kyiv and Bratislava don’t have to be pleasant, however some type of communication is required and cancelling the assembly would result in a diplomatic fake pas.
[Edited by Zoran Radosavljevic]
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