Blanar: Slovakia Welcomes US Peace Efforts and Hopes for Shift in Negotiations

Bratislava, 15 August (TASR) - The Slovak Republic welcomes the intensified peacekeeping efforts by the administration of US President Donald Trump related to the war in Ukraine and hopes that Friday's negotiations will contribute to ending the nearly three-and-a-half-year-long conflict, Foreign Minister Juraj Blanar (Smer-SD) stated ahead of the meeting of the US and Russian presidents in Alaska, TASR was told by the ministry's communications department on Friday. The minister further stated that Slovak diplomacy is in contact with its partners from the United States at various levels and multilateral forums, and actively participated in the discussion at the extraordinary meeting of the EU Foreign Affairs Council. This meeting of the member states preceded the video conference of some European leaders with Trump, while Slovakia also supported the joint statement of 26 EU member states on the situation in Ukraine, said Blanar. According to the statement, in the run-up to the summit, Slovakia appealed to all interested parties to contribute constructively to the preparation and conduct of the talks and to patiently seek common ground for a lasting peace in Ukraine. "The Slovak government has stressed since its inception that this conflict has no military solution and this confirms our long-standing position that it can only be ended through diplomatic negotiations that will stop the senseless bloodshed, human suffering and destruction of the country," noted Slovakia's chief diplomat. The outcome of the peace efforts, he said, will primarily affect stability and security in Europe. He therefore calls on the EU to play a more active role in supporting US peace initiatives. am/mcs