The Czech Republic has announced the suspension of intergovernmental consultations with Slovakia amid growing fears that Bratislava is moving away from Western policy of supporting Ukraine. UNN reports this with reference to The Guardian.
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The recent meeting between Slovak Foreign Minister Juraj Blanar and Russian Minister Sergei Lavrov in Turkey was reportedly too much for many in Prague, bringing tensions over differences in foreign policy to the forefront.
"It is impossible to hide the fact that there are differences on a number of very important issues. We consider the meeting between the Slovak Foreign Minister and the Russian Foreign Minister problematic. Therefore, the government does not consider it appropriate to hold intergovernmental consultations with the government of the Slovak Republic at this time," said Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala.
Slovak President comments on Foreign Minister's meeting with Lavrov on Ukraine03.03.24, 22:52
Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavsky added: "I believe that friends should be honest with each other and tell each other even difficult things.
A study conducted last year by the Globsec think tank showed that only 40% of Slovaks believe that Russia is primarily responsible for the war in Ukraine. 34% said that "the West provoked Russia," and 17% said that it was primarily the fault of "Ukraine, which oppresses the Russian-speaking part of the population.
According to the newspaper, Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico's rhetoric regarding Ukraine and Russia has caused concern in some European capitals, including Prague, which is leading an initiative to buy ammunition for Ukraine outside the EU.