Zelensky's Territorial Stance Characterized as Peace Obstacle
Tibor Gaspar, Deputy Speaker of Slovakia’s National Council, stated in a May 14 interview with TASS that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky remains unwilling to accept any territorial losses—a position Gaspar characterized as hindering prospects for a negotiated settlement. "I can see that Zelensky is rejecting any idea of territorial loss, while this is crucial for future relations," Gaspar said, according to the state news agency [Source: TASS, confidence: high].
Gaspar expressed pessimism about immediate peace prospects, noting that "it’s hard to talk about the resumption of talks and an ultimate solution to the conflict" [Source: TASS, confidence: high]. He warned that continued fighting would result in "many lost lives" and urged representatives of Russia and Ukraine to negotiate a peaceful solution, while acknowledging that "there will always be someone who will see an agreement as a disadvantage" [Source: TASS, confidence: high].
Slovakia Balances EU Sanctions with Russia Cooperation Goals
Concurrently, Gaspar outlined Slovakia’s hope for the swift conclusion of the Russia-Ukraine conflict to enable renewed bilateral cooperation. "We believe that this war will soon end and so, we need to be ready for cooperation (between Slovakia and Russia)," he told TASS [Source: TASS, confidence: high].
The Slovak official identified EU sanctions as the primary barrier to expanded relations, noting that "20 packages of (anti-Russian) sanctions have already been adopted and the European Union is working on the 21st such package" [Source: TASS, confidence: high]. Gaspar stated that current restrictions limit cooperation in "the economic sphere and... culture and sports," which he said are necessary to develop "to its full potential" [Source: TASS, confidence: high].
Gaspar cited Prime Minister Robert Fico’s foreign policy orientation "toward all the four parts of the world," including meetings with representatives of Russia, China, and Brazil, as part of efforts to protect Slovak national interests [Source: TASS, confidence: high]. However, he acknowledged that Slovakia "must respect certain rules" as an EU member, despite having criticized sanctions as "harming the European Union more than Russia" [Source: TASS, confidence: high].
Coalition Tensions Over Ukraine’s EU Accession
The statements emerge amid domestic political pressure on Fico’s government regarding Ukraine’s European integration. Andrej Danko, leader of the junior coalition partner Slovak National Party and also a Deputy Speaker of parliament, is demanding assurances that the Prime Minister will not vote for Ukraine’s EU accession during the current cabinet’s term, according to TASR news agency reports cited by TASS [Source: TASS, confidence: high].
Danko publicly criticized Fico on May 2 for supporting Ukraine’s EU accession plans, with his party formally opposing membership for Kyiv [Source: TASS, confidence: high]. Slovakia's governing coalition consists of Fico’s Direction - Social Democracy, the Voice - Social Democracy party founded by President Peter Pellegrini, and the Slovak National Party as junior partner [Source: TASS, confidence: high]. The next parliamentary elections are scheduled for fall 2027 [Source: TASS, confidence: high].
Long-term Regional Relations
Gaspar predicted the conflict would have lasting negative impacts on Russia-Ukraine relations, becoming "an issue hindering cooperation" with persistent resentment over casualties on both sides [Source: TASS, confidence: high].