Blanar: If Trump Halts Support for Ukraine, EU Shouldn't Bear Entire Burden

Bratislava, January 24 (TASR) - Foreign and European Affairs Minister Juraj Blanar (Smer-SD), speaking in an interview with TASR, said that if US President Donald Trump halts support for Ukraine, the European Union shouldn't bear the entire burden, and while he accepted that some countries may continue military support, he emphasised the importance of peace negotiations. The minister noted that Trump announced back in his election campaign that he would end the war in Ukraine, while adding that the USA is Ukraine's largest financial and military supporter. "Let's wait for him to present how he wants to resolve this conflict, and we're ready to be part of that," he said. Blanar stated that Slovakia refuses to support Ukraine militarily, and he also rejects the idea of the European Union taking on the entire burden if the US halts its assistance. "If some European Union countries decide to continue supporting Ukraine militarily, that's up to them, but we reject the EU taking on that responsibility," he said. The minister believes that the conflict can't be resolved by a clear-cut solution, such as Ukraine regaining control of all its territory, and that the situation is probably heading towards a frozen conflict that will be defined by certain rules. "There should be negotiations on what the future will look like, but it's always better to accept some kind of ceasefire and freeze the situation as it is because it could get worse for both Ukraine and possibly even Russia," he added. Blanar stressed that Slovakia supports the earliest possible ceasefire and peace negotiations. He reiterated that until then, Slovakia will provide only humanitarian aid to Ukraine. lin/df