Overview

• Slovak Foreign Minister Juraj Blanár said the West should forgive Russia for everything to revive diplomatic talks, arguing the war cannot be won militarily.
• Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha called Blanár’s proposal naive, warning that forgiving Moscow’s crimes would embolden further aggression.
• Since taking office in 2023, Prime Minister Robert Fico’s government has halted military aid to Kyiv and attended President Putin’s Victory Day parade, bucking broader Western policy.
• Bratislava has stalled the EU’s 18th sanctions package against Russia and remains one of the few Western capitals maintaining diplomatic contact with Moscow.
• Ceasefire talks in Istanbul on May 16 and June 2 achieved only prisoner exchanges, underscoring stalled diplomatic progress.