Newly elected Slovak President Peter Pellegrini announced plans to visit neighbouring countries, including Ukraine, stressing the importance of NATO and the EU for the country’s security.
Pellegrini revealed his plans during a special debate on RTVS on Sunday, according to Euractiv.
Slovakia is too small to be able to defend itself against possible aggression, which is why NATO gives us a protective umbrella that makes us feel safer. This is how it must remain in the future from a geopolitical point of view.
He also accused Czech President Petr Pavel and Prime Minister Petr Fiala of “supporting the killing in Ukraine” by sending weapons to Kyiv. Pellegrini also refused to guarantee that Slovakia would help Poland if Warsaw invoked NATO’s Article 5.
In addition, the president stated that the idea of a round table to which all leaders of the current opposition and coalition parties would be invited was “still valid.” However, the government is awaiting news on Robert Fico’s health.
The idea was first proposed by Pellegrini and then-President Zuzana Čaputová after Fico’s assassination attempt on 15 May as a “signal of reconciliation” in the fractured Slovak society.
If there is no calming down of the situation and an imaginary start of breaking down the walls between the two poles of society, we have a serious problem.
However, coalition parties rejected the idea despite support from the opposition.
Pellegrini also revealed that he was considering nominating current European Commission vice-president Maroš Šefčovič for the post of commissioner. However, he intends to discuss the nomination at an informal lunch with Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz.
