Staying In Line

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Thousands of Slovaks protested in the country’s capital this week to show support for Ukraine and denounce the government’s foreign policy shift that critics say has veered too close to Russia, Reuters reported.

Around 5,000 people took to the streets of Bratislava on Tuesday, chanting slogans against the government of Prime Minister Robert Fico and holding signs calling Russia a “terrorist state.”

The demonstrations follow a meeting between Slovakian Foreign Minister Juraj Blanar and his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov earlier this month – a rare high-level encounter between a European Union nation and a country the bloc has sought to isolate.

Blanar has defended the meeting, saying it came at Lavrov’s request and that a diplomatic solution was needed for the Ukraine conflict.

His comments echo many of the statements by Fico, who has panned Europe’s military aid to Kyiv and called to revive ties with Moscow, prompting concern among Slovakia’s Western allies.

The prime minister has rejected sending Ukraine weapons and criticized sanctions against Russia – although he has stopped short of blocking EU sanctions against Moscow or aid to Ukraine.

Following an election win in October, Fico and the government have faced a number of opposition-led protests against his policies, including a planned overhaul of Slovakia’s criminal code that opponents say weakens the fight against corruption.