MFA: Ukrainian Colours on Slavin Call by Slovaks for Russia to End War

Bratislava, March 3 (TASR) - The colours of the Ukrainian flag painted on the Slavin military monument in Bratislava represent a call by Slovak citizens for Russia to end a "senseless war", the Slovak Foreign Affairs Ministry (MFA) stated on Thursday. Part of the military monument dedicated to Soviet troops killed during WWII has been painted blue and yellow by an unknown perpetrator. At the same time, the ministry asked the Slovak public to continue to honour Russian citizens who are dedicated to peace and democracy. Meanwhile, the Russian Embassy expressed outrage at the incident, claiming that a site of reverence has been "desecrated" and demanding that the monument should be restored to its original form in accordance with a Slovak-Russian inter-governmental agreement of 1995 concerning the graves of fallen soldiers and civilian victims of war. "We expect a reaction," posted the Russian Embassy on a social network, adding that 6,845 Red Army soldiers who died to liberate Slovakia from fascism were buried at Slavin. "The Foreign Affairs Ministry reminds the Russian Embassy that the Slovak Republic has been taking exemplary care of graves and memorials to Russian soldiers and all those who participated in Slovakia's liberation in WWII and paying the utmost respect to them," reads a ministry statement sent to TASR by its communications department. However, the ministry also asked the Russian embassy in Bratislava to face up to reality. "And that is huge civic solidarity with Ukraine, which has been groundlessly attacked by Russia, which in addition to violating international law has been trampling the memory of Ukrainians who fought for freedom alongside Russians in 1945," said the ministry. ko/df