Kalinak: Slovakia Against Kiev Striking Back at Russia with Long-range Missiles

Brussels/Bratislava, November 19 (TASR-correspondent) - If Ukraine uses long-range missiles against Russia, it will lead to the escalation of tension, Defence Minister Robert Kalinak (Smer-SD) declared after Tuesday's session of the EU Foreign Affairs and Defence Council in Brussels, TASR learnt from its special correspondent on the same day. Kalinak confirmed that the issue of Ukraine was the fulcrum of the talks and reiterated the stance that Slovakia doesn't support the use of long-range missiles against targets in Russia. "We think that this would dramatically escalate tension and, first and foremost, drag EU and NATO countries into conflict. That's why we perceive it as a problem," he explained. When asked whether the ministers commemorated the first 1,000 days of Russian aggression against Ukraine, Kalinak claimed that there were many statements calling for Ukraine's victory. "If talks had begun in late 2022, at the time when Ukraine managed to regain Kherson and Kharkiv, then there would have been no 1,000 days of war. That's when the pressure of the EU should have been exerted. Once the conflict has progressed and, particularly today, when it turns out that the situation on the battlefield is difficult, the cards we hold are weaker than Russia's. It's harder now to respond," said Kalinak, who underlined that the priority is to prevent the involvement of NATO in the conflict. mf