Gov't: Military Aid for Ukraine by Slovak and Czech Firms to Continue

Bratislava/Prague, November 6 (TASR-correspondent) - The military aid to Ukraine from Slovakia, run on a commercial basis by firms operating in Slovakia and the Czech Republic, has no bearing on the stance of the Slovak Government in this matter and will continue, Slovak Foreign Affairs Minister Juraj Blanar declared in Prague on Monday. TASR learnt the news from its special correspondent in the Czech Republic on the same day. According to Blanar, the stance of the new Slovak Government is being misinterpreted by the media. "We want to continue the humanitarian aid and want to help Ukraine also in other ways, such as with mine removal because that has roots in peacekeeping," he stated. Blanar clarified that the government won't provide Kiev with any weapons from the Slovak Armed Forces stocks. "That's because there is nothing left to give and we need to care also for our own security. In addition, we think that it's also necessary to start peace initiatives at the level of the EU," said the minister. He added that prolonging the military conflict won't lead to any results and it would be better to freeze it for a longer period rather than to continue the killing. "That being said, however, everything that's being run on a commercial basis by firms operating in Slovakia and also the Czech Republic has no impact on our stance and will continue normally as before," emphasised the chief of Slovak diplomacy. mf/mcs