MORNING NEWS HIGHLIGHTS - Sunday, 1 March 2026 - 9 a.m.

TASR brings a quick morning overview of the most important events seen in Slovakia on the previous day (Saturday, 28 February): BRATISLAVA - Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico (Smer-SD) has stated that the attack on Iran provides further evidence of the total collapse of the world order and a complete disregard for international law, TASR reported on Saturday. "The big and powerful do as they please, the UN is impotent, and we, the small nations, can only watch and grumble. We can issue strong diplomatic statements, we can condemn, but that's not going to change anything about the military attack on Iran," Fico stated in a video posted on a social network. In his words, the strike is aimed at toppling Iran's political and spiritual leadership, with the goal of orchestrating regime change. "Compared to Venezuela, Iran is unlikely to be a simple nut to crack; Iran is substantially stronger and more stable internally than Venezuela. Pushed into a corner, it won't hesitate to resort to any means for retaliation," Fico noted. According to him, neighbouring countries will also suffer and he specifically expressed solidarity with the United Arab Emirates, which he said is sincerely striving for stability and peace in the region. "And we will also suffer, because if oil supplies are limited due to the war in Iran, we can expect fuel prices to surge, and tensions will increase not only in that region but also on a global scale," cautioned Fico. As Slovakia is powerless to do anything, he said the country should at least hope for the conflict to be short-lived, with minimal casualties, without triggering an oil crisis or prolonged disruptions to international air travel. On Saturday, following months of escalating tension between Israel and Iran, the United States and Israel launched coordinated air and missile strikes on Iranian military and strategic targets, including areas near the residences of top Iranian officials in Tehran. Blasts were also reported in other Iranian cities such as Qom, Isfahan, and Kermanshah. Iran has responded with massive retaliatory strikes involving missiles and drones against targets in Israel and U.S. military bases in the Middle East. BRATISLAVA - Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico (Smer-SD) has stated that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy rejected a request to allow an inspection group to examine the actual state of damage to the Druzhba oil pipeline in Ukraine, TASR has learnt from his video posted on a social network on Saturday. According to Fico, Zelenskyy is not interested in resuming oil transit. "President Zelenskyy is making excuses, saying that the oil pipeline is damaged on Ukrainian territory; we have completely different information, but when we asked the President to allow us to send an inspection group to verify the actual situation, he flatly refused. In the same fashion, he also turned down the request during a phone call I had with him yesterday (27 February)," stressed Fico. The Slovak premier stated he has no problem meeting with the Ukrainian President, while the date and venue are currently being arranged. "But today it's plain to see that the Ukrainian President has no interest in resuming the transit of oil to which we are entitled, which is duly paid for, and which we can continue to receive even in 2027 based on the decision of EU authorities," he added. According to Fico, EU authorities prioritise Ukraine's national interests over those of member states such as Slovakia or Hungary. "The EU did nothing to help us when President Zelenskyy halted gas transit, causing us annual losses of €500 million in transit fees. So far, we've seen no support regarding the Ukrainian President's further hostile move to halt oil supplies to Slovakia and Hungary, which is causing us incredible damage," added Fico. BRATISLAVA - The opposition Progressive Slovakia (PS) party warns of a potential domino effect following the announced closure of the Samsung television manufacturing plant in Galanta (Trnava region), with PS leader Michal Simecka calling on the government to intervene and improve the business environment by scrapping the transaction tax and easing the payroll burden, TASR reported on Saturday. "The government must take action. We're facing a potential chain reaction, where companies linked to Samsung may shut down their operations and lay off staff," stressed Simecka, adding that he intends to convene sessions of several parliamentary committees. "We demand answers from the government, as it bears the responsibility for stabilising the situation," he said. PS also intends to ask the government whether it has engaged in any negotiations with Samsung in recent weeks and what solutions are planned. Trnava region governor Jozef Viskupic said the plant's closure was the worst news for the region over the last decade, noting that rumours had been circulating around for some time. According to Viskupic, the government should have addressed the matter during its away-from-home session in Smolenice (Trnava region) on Wednesday (25 February), but "there was no mention of it whatsoever". He added that it is now paramount to prepare a fair transition programme, for example, in the form of reskilling courses. BRATISLAVA - The Middle East deserves real peace and Slovakia is firmly convinced that international disputes must be resolved through diplomacy, dialogue and within the framework of the United Nations, Slovak President Peter Pellegrini stated on a social network on Saturday in connection with the Israeli-American attack on Iran. "It's vital that conditions for a peaceful life exist in the Middle East – without nuclear threats, without terrorist groups, and devoid of the hostile rhetoric of wiping nations off the map or seeking their elimination," stated the Slovak head of state. Military action carries the risk of further escalation and suffering. According to Pellegrini, lasting peace based on the trust of all countries in the Middle East can only be achieved through diplomatic solutions. jrg