Slovakia's Foreign Min Meets With Russia's Lavrov On Sidelines Of Diplomatic Forum

Slovak Foreign Minister Juraj Blanar met with his EU-sanctioned Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov on the sidelines of a diplomatic forum in Antalya, Turkey, according to official communique released by both capitals. This makes Slovakia the second EU country after Hungary to break the informal cordon sanitaire imposed on high-ranking Russian officials after the start of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

• The Russian readout of the meeting noted that "the Russian side confirmed its readiness to restore relations with Slovakia at the inter-parliamentary level, as well as in cultural, humanitarian and military-memorial spheres." The Slovak readout noted that the meeting "took place at the request of the Russian side." It further noted that Blanar called for a diplomatic solution to the conflict in Ukraine and told Lavrov that "is against the creation of of any iron curtain between Russia and the EU."
• Slovakia's rapprochement with Russia was an expected consequence of the September parliamentary election, which allowed Robert Fico (SMER-SD) to return to power. Note that Slovakia is heading for a presidential election due within a few weeks, with opinion polls suggesting that Fico's coalition partner Peter Pellegrini (Hlas) holds a narrow lead over his main rival pro-Ukraine ex-Foreign Minister Ivan Korcok (independent). The looming election increases domestic political salience of the government's diplomatic decisions.
• Blanar's meeting with Lavrov is set to add strain to Slovakia's tensions with its regional partners and other EU states. The recent Visegrad Group summit in Prague exposed a deep rift between Poland and Czechia on the one hand and Hungary and Slovakia on the other over their stance on Russia's war against Ukraine. Elsewhere, a week ago PM Fico revealed that some NATO members were considering sending troops onto Ukraine, triggering a flurry of denials and clarifications.