Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha sharply criticized Slovak counterpart Juraj Blanár’s suggestion to “forgive” Russia, stating that “sense of impunity is the root cause” of Russia’s crimes. Sybiha argued it’s “naive to expect a criminal to stop if their crime is forgiven instead of punished,” warning Russia would exploit such leniency. He added that those “who have lost no one in this war have no right to make such statements.”
Blanár had previously advocated for re-establishing communication and cooperation with Moscow, even suggesting the West “perhaps even forgive everything that has happened.” Slovakia’s leadership, including Prime Minister Robert Fico who has met Vladimir Putin twice since 2023, is notable for maintaining contact with Russia and has also delayed new EU sanctions.
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