Robert Fico declared that he will not support new sanction packages against Russia until the European Commission presents concrete proposals regarding electricity prices. After a meeting with European Council President António Costa, the Slovak Prime Minister added that he also expects proposals on how to align European climate policy with the needs of the automotive industry. “Peace without defense is just an illusion,” Costa said.
Fico described the meeting as “excellent.” He said he had informed Costa about his talks with the Ukrainian, Russian and Chinese presidents. “I expressed my wish that the European Union would devote the same attention to peace processes as it does to armament,” he said at the Government Office in Bratislava.
Fico added that he offered Costa Slovakia’s experience with the so-called “four-pillar foreign policy,” which he described as successful, pointing to friendly relations with several countries. “Our priority is peace, not arming Ukraine,” he said.
Fico and Costa also discussed the EU’s Multiannual Financial Framework. The Prime Minister said Slovakia would be constructive in the negotiations, but stressed there are two areas where Bratislava will insist on “respecting the national interests” of the Slovak Republic.
“We would like the cohesion envelope to be preserved, while in the Common Agricultural Policy we see certain risks,” he said, calling the increase in support for small farms at the expense of larger ones problematic.
At the joint press conference with Fico, Costa reiterated that peace without defense is just an illusion. “That is why we need to invest more in our defense. Russian aggression has a significant impact beyond Ukraine’s borders,” he said.
Costa defended the European strategy of diversifying energy sources and reducing dependence on Russia, which he argued makes sense both politically and economically. At the end of the press conference, he thanked Robert Fico for his “European spirit.”
Նյութերը գեներացվում են տարբեր կայքերից արհեստական բանականության միջոցով