Korcok: Putin Still Wants War and Fundamental Change to Security Arrangement

Bratislava, 17 August (TASR) - Ex-minister of foreign affairs and member of Progressive Slovakia (PS) leadership member Ivan Korcok believes that Russian President Vladimir Putin still wants war and a fundamental change to the security arrangement in Europe. He pointed out that the so-far known outcomes of the Alaska summit have brought no concrete steps towards an early end to Russian aggression. "Not even a ceasefire has been achieved, which is repeated evidence of Putin's disinterest in peace. Even after such an accommodating step as his reception by President [Donald] Trump on the US soil, Putin hasn't changed his determination to continue the war. For this reason, the USA should change its accommodating approach to Russia. Otherwise, its efforts is reaching a dead end," stated Korcok. MP Veronika Remisova ('Slovakia' party, For the People, the Christian Union/KU) claims that US President Donald Trump only gave "many compliments to the war criminal Putin" at the summit. She also warned against the US president's words, which she views as a dangerous precedent. "When in the future any large country attacks a smaller one - for example Slovakia, then according to Trump it's absolutely normal that the small country must surrender and hand over its territory," she said, stressing that peace should be just, sustainable and fair, especially for the country that is the victim of aggression. Trump and Putin met in Alaska on Friday (15 August) to discuss the war in Ukraine and the possible ways of ending it. On Saturday (16 August), Trump informed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and NATO leaders about the results of his meeting with Putin. ko