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Since Robert Fico’s return to power, Slovakia has turned more towards Russia and China. Foreign Minister Juraj Blanar explains in an interview why he rejects further support for Ukraine and that Bratislava continues to rely on Russian gas.
Foreign Minister Juraj Blanar met his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov in March, causing controversy in Slovakia. Diplomacy is dialogue, he replies in an interview.
Kira Hofmann / Imago
Mr. Blanar, since Robert Fico’s government came to power a year ago, there has been a change in Slovakia’s Ukraine policy. Military aid has been stopped and you see Western support for Kiev as torpedoing a peace process. How do you think the conflict can be resolved?
Our position is very clear. Even before the election a year ago, we declared that there could be no military solution to this war. The Slovakian government is therefore no longer supplying weapons to Ukraine. However, we provide humanitarian aid, for example for demining. We want a peace process: without diplomatic negotiations, a sustainable, just peace cannot be achieved. Ukraine’s Western allies believe Russia can be defeated. How should a nuclear power be defeated? This is not possible.
Does this mean that Kyiv simply has to accept Russian aggression?
Let me be clear: the Russian attack is a violation of international law. We support Ukraine as an independent state within its internationally recognized borders. How we achieve this is the big challenge – but there can only be a diplomatic way and not a military way.
But Russia is needed for a diplomatic path. You were one of the few European representatives to meet your Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov a few months ago since the major invasion. Do you see a willingness to talk in Moscow?
I hope so. After Donald Trump’s election, Vladimir Putin expressed his willingness to resume talks with the USA, including about Ukraine. This is a positive sign. Diplomacy is dialogue – even with those who break international law. American Secretary of State Antony Blinken also spoke to Lavrov on the sidelines of the G-20 meeting in the spring. For Slovakia there is also the dependency on Russian energy supplies. We have to keep talking to Moscow, otherwise we are in great danger. That’s why I met Lavrov at the Antalya Forum in Turkey. I criticized the violation of international law in Ukraine and called on him to negotiate peace. I also attended the peace conference at Bürgenstock in Switzerland, although Russia was not happy about it. By the way, it was also decided that the Russians should have a seat at the table at the next peace conference.
What can such negotiations look like? Will Ukraine have to give up territory?
Only time will tell. It is important to take into account the positions of Ukraine, Russia, the West, but also the “global south”. The latter is important for the process. Sustainable peace can only be achieved with broad support for security measures for Ukraine. I make no statement on the question of cessions of territory. This is a matter for Ukraine, Russia and the USA. We stand by territorial integrity. Otherwise international law is worthless.
Ukraine’s accession to NATO would be a security guarantee. But your government rejects this.
We support Ukraine’s accession to the EU, provided Kiev meets the relevant criteria. Of course, the country needs a strong guarantee, which is why this must extend beyond the Western alliance – including from China, India, Brazil and South Africa.
Slovakia is one of the few European countries that remains heavily dependent on Russian natural gas. However, Ukraine no longer wants to extend the transit contract for delivery, which expires at the end of the year. Slovakia’s main energy supplier SPP signed a pilot contract last week to purchase gas from Azerbaijan. Is this the first step towards phasing out Russian gas?
We are trying to diversify. We need reliable, sustainable and cost-effective energy supplies. That’s why we don’t want liquefied gas from the USA, which is four times as expensive – that would pose a big problem for the Slovak economy. We want to negotiate with Ukraine and Russia how Russian gas can still reach Slovakia after the end of the year. We already did this with crude oil in the summer: After Kiev imposed sanctions on Lukoil, the Hungarian MOL Group took over the transport of the oil through Ukraine. We currently have 95 percent of our annual gas consumption stored in our storage facilities. We are working on a solution – energy from Azerbaijan can be part of it. But Europe still needs gas from Russia, otherwise we will lose competitiveness compared to the USA and China.
Prime Minister Fico and you have just been to China with a large delegation and have signed numerous agreements, while many other European countries are distancing themselves from Beijing. Should Slovakia become a second European hub for Chinese investments alongside Hungary?
As an EU and NATO member, we also pursue a sovereign foreign policy and want to strengthen economic diplomacy. To this end, we also work with the countries of the “global south”. We have concluded trade agreements not only with China, but also with South Korea and Japan. But of course we hope for Chinese investments if they make sense for Slovakia. We are the largest automobile manufacturer in the world in terms of vehicles manufactured per capita and have to convert production to electromobility. For this we need batteries. If the EU introduces additional tariffs on Chinese batteries, the only solution is to have them manufactured in our country. We are against such tariffs and against a trade war with China.
The EU Commission is reportedly considering freezing funds for Slovakia because of controversial reforms to criminal law or public media. How is the relationship with Brussels?
There was criticism in the annual rule of law report, but we are in dialogue with the Commission and have shown that there is no reason for this. This report is based, among other things, on false media articles. The criminal law reform was largely approved by the Constitutional Court. However, we need to explain what we do in more detail to prevent misunderstandings in the future. It is primarily the Slovak opposition that is calling for funds to be blocked in the EU Parliament.
The Slovakian EU Commissioner Maros Sefcovic is responsible for negotiations with Switzerland. Do these matter to your government?
Very important, we see Switzerland as an important partner of the EU. Maros Sefcovic is the second longest-serving commissioner ever. You can be sure that he will conclude these negotiations successfully.
A loyal companion of Robert Fico
Juraj Blanar, Foreign Minister of Slovakia
58-year-old Juraj Blanar has been his country’s chief diplomat since Robert Fico’s government took power over a year ago. Before that, he sat in parliament for his left-wing populist party Smer for many years. The engineer is also one of five vice-presidents of the ruling party and, before his political career, worked in a construction company in his hometown of Zilina.
Ded questions within each section to generate thoughtful responses and encourage further dialogue.
