MORNING NEWS HIGHLIGHTS - Sunday, December 29, 2024 - 9 a.m.

TASR brings a quick morning overview of the most important events seen in Slovakia on the previous day (Saturday, December 28): BRATISLAVA - Prime Minister Robert Fico (Smer-SD) has become the tool of Russian propaganda, but Slovakia is and must remain part of the EU and NATO, not an extended arm of Moscow, chair of the opposition SaS party Branislav Groehling declared on Saturday. Groehling responded this way to Fico's Friday (December 27) statements. "Slovakia can ill-afford to become the tool of disinformation games. We need a prime minister who defends interests of our country, builds trust among our partners and works on actual security of the people, instead of spreading propaganda that serves interests of Russia," said Groehling. Fico likes to talk about "independent Slovak foreign policy", but his actions are a different story. Groehling pointed out that Prime Minister Fico downplays the Russian aggression in Ukraine, disseminates unfounded accusations against Ukraine and openly impugns solidarity within the EU and NATO. Prime Minister Fico offered Slovakia as a suitable venue for Ukrainian-Russian peace talks, having already discussed the issue with Russian President Vladimir Putin, whose positive reaction he welcomes. Fico added that he finds it incomprehensible that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy rejects truce. If Ukraine terminates the transit of Russian gas to Slovakia as of January 1, 2025, the Slovak Government will consider reciprocal measures, including cutting out electricity supplies to Ukraine. KIEV/BRATISLAVA - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy accused Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico of opening up a second energy front against Ukraine at the behest of Russian President Vladimir Putin. "It's the only way to explain Fico's threats that he will cut out Ukraine from special emergency supplies of electricity during winter, when Russian attacks strike our power plants and the distribution grid," Zelenskyy posted in Slovak on X. Zelenskyy responded this way to Robert Fico's Friday (December 27) statements, in which Fico threatened Ukraine with reciprocal measures, including the stop of electricity supplies, if Kiev terminates the transit of Russian gas to Slovakia as of January 1, 2025. "Ukraine needs electricity imports only because of the Russian occupation of our Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant and systemic destruction of a proportion of Ukrainian heating and hydroelectric power plants by Russian missiles and Shahid drones," wrote Zelenskyy. "Fico's shortsighted policies have already deprived Slovakia's inhabitants of compensations for the loss of Russian gas transit. Now he can deprive Slovakia of at least additional $200 million (€192 million) annually, which Ukraine pays Slovakia for the imported electricity. Indeed, the electricity aid is not free-of-charge, there are considerable financial resources involved," added Zelenskyy. In Zelenskyy's view, any "arbitrary decisions in Bratislava" concerning electricity will fail to cut out Ukraine from supplies of electricity but might lead to the isolation of the current Slovak Government from the European community. BRATISLAVA - The Foreign Affairs Ministry managed to accomplish activities it planned for 2024 and, most importantly, the Government continues its sovereign foreign policy, which puts emphasis on the Slovak people, their living standards and economy, Foreign and European Affairs Minister Juraj Blanar has stated in his end-of-the-year assessment interview for TASR. "We said it very clearly that we're members of the EU and NATO, but we also plan to voice our views in cases when we think something is not developing right in these organisations," said Blanar, alluding to Slovakia's stance on migration and the war in Ukraine. According to Blanar, many bilateral talks in other countries confirmed that foreign partners respect Slovakia all the more so because of its sovereign foreign policy. "As long as you have a really clear, sovereign opinion, which shows respect to others who decided to embrace different paths in how to govern their countries, then even those others will respect you more, particularly when you have a clear stance, you're easy to read and know what you wish to promote," stated the minister. Blanar reiterated that Slovakia has an interest in peace talks regarding the Ukraine-Russia conflict and will support all peacemaking activities. "I attended in person also the peace summit held in Switzerland, where everyone realized what we'd been saying earlier, namely that without the Russian Federation behind the table no peace solution can be achieved," he said and underlined that Slovakia supports Ukraine's joining of EU but not NATO. Blanar rejects claims by the opposition, according to which Slovakia has wounded up in an international isolation. "How could we accomplish having our own citizen, Mr. Hambalek, taken off the sanctions list if no one talked to us in the EU? Such a decision must be taken unanimously," said the minister. He accentuated that Slovakia is seen and heard in the world, as evidenced by the extension of the exemption from the ban on imports of Russian-oil products to the Czech Republic. Blanar pointed out to the ministry's orientation on the economic diplomacy, which he plans to continue to develop. "We'd like to orient more on the economic diplomacy, which is why we've defined plans also outside of the EU, where we'd like to be very active. That space of interest in Indo-Pacific, where we decided to open additional representative offices, countries of the global south, whether it means China, South Korea, Malaysia, Philippines, but also states of Africa, where we're opening two new representative offices, plus Brazil and South America. We're convinced that there's enormous room for us to return to these markets," he said. Blanar broached Slovakia's candidacies as well. "We are directly represented in the top body of UNESCO and run for the 2028-2029 non-permanent UN Security Council member, a bid which is shaping up as very, very promising because we're the only country of Eastern Europe that runs and this candidacy has recruited support from several countries," he said. BRATISLAVA - President Peter Pellegrini plans to deliver his State of the Republic address in Parliament at its first 2025 session, slated to begin in February. "I certainly plan to give State of the Republic addresses in Parliament. I wanted to do so already this year, but in light of the entire situation and developments, I decided to wait and see how it all plays out at the end of the day," Pellegrini told TASR in an interview. Pellegrini plans to deliver his speeches in the House throughout the year whenever any serious situation emerges and not limit himself only to a single speech a year. mf