Photo: Tass/Alexander Kryazhev
BERLIN - Germany and Slovakia have no open issues between them. Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico said this during a meeting with Chancellor Olaf Scholz in Berlin, adding that the difference of opinion on the war in Ukraine does not burden German-Slovak relations. Fico also said that the Russia-Ukraine conflict does not have a military solution. Scholz said of the war that there was no end in sight, but that Russian President Vladimir Putin could stop the fighting at any time. But if Ukraine stopped defending itself, it would cease to exist, the chancellor added.
At a press conference with Scholz, Fico noted that his visit to Ukraine today showed that Bratislava and Kiev have diametrically different views on the conflict. "I say absolutely frankly that we have a completely different opinion. We do not believe in a military solution," the Slovak prime minister stressed. He added that today he repeatedly asked Ukrainian Prime Minister Denis Shmyhal about Ukraine's plans. "The only answer I got was war and war," he said.
"We have to admit that there is no easy solution in sight. But the Russian president can end this war at any time. But if the Ukrainians stop defending themselves, it will be the end of Ukraine," Chancellor Scholz said. He held telephone talks today with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, to whom he promised further German support as long as necessary.
Fico also said that Slovakia supports Ukraine's European future, but stressed that the country must meet all criteria before joining the EU. Bratislava will also support aid to Kiev of 50 billion euros (about CZK 1.2 trillion) from the EU budget, according to the Slovak prime minister. "We want Ukraine to be an independent, democratic and prosperous country," Fico said.
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