MORNING NEWS HIGHLIGHTS - Sunday, 10 May 2026 - 9 a.m.

TASR brings a quick morning overview of the most important events seen in Slovakia on the previous day (Saturday, 9 May): MOSCOW - The European Union and NATO are imposing a confrontational policy, Russian President Vladimir Putin said during his talks with Slovak Premier Robert Fico (Smer-SD) in the Kremlin on Saturday, TASR has reported based on a story published by the TASS agency. "Of course, we understand that [bilateral relations between Russia and Slovakia] are now complicated by events related to what is happening in Ukraine and by the foreign policy environment. By the confrontational line that, as we believe, is being imposed on all of us by both the EU and NATO," said the Russian head of state. "Russian-Slovak relations for many years, including during your previous terms as premier, were characterised by a high level of political dialogue and stable cooperation dynamics," stated Putin, noting that Fico's government is striving to pursue a sovereign foreign policy and build a pragmatic course toward Russia. Fico during his meeting with Putin stated that Russia and Slovakia are united by history, particularly because of the Soviet people's role in the liberation of Slovakia. "History unites us tremendously. I do not accept the distortion of historical facts. I support the idea of a sovereign Slovak policy directed toward everyone interested in normal friendly relations with the Slovak Republic," said Fico. MOSCOW/BRATISLAVA - Slovak Premier Robert Fico (Smer-SD) conveyed a message from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin during their meeting in Moscow on Saturday, declaring Zelenskyy's readiness for a face-to-face meeting with Putin in any format, Fico said in a video on social media. Putin responded by saying that the Ukrainian president should contact him by phone in that case. "I passed on a message from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to the Russian president. During our personal meeting in Armenia on Monday (4 May), he told me that he was ready to meet Vladimir Putin in any format. The answer is clear. If the Ukrainian president is interested in a meeting, he should contact his Russian counterpart by phone," said Fico. Fico reiterated that diplomatic solutions and dialogue are "a thousand times more useful than killing each other" in the current situation. According to Fico, it has once again been confirmed that it's a huge mistake not to engage in an equal political dialogue with the Russian side, with the European Union only imposing sanctions that lead to nothing but Russia's greater self-sufficiency in several areas, or "providing war loans and support for the war, things in which Slovakia doesn't participate". BRATISLAVA - The Fitch Ratings agency has affirmed Slovakia's Long-Term Foreign-Currency (LTFC) Issuer Default Rating (IDR) at 'A-', with a stable outlook, the Finance Ministry has informed TASR. The ministry stressed that this is an important signal of confidence in the Slovak economy and in the government’s steps in an exceptionally challenging period marked by global instability, wars, energy uncertainty, oil shocks, and weak performance of several European economies, including Slovakia's main trading partners. "The fiscal consolidation is progressing. The government has implemented three consolidation packages over three years, totalling some 4 percent of GDP. The second was particularly significant, as it included politically difficult measures, and helped stem the deterioration in public finances," stated Fitch in its assessment. The agency perceives problems with the external environment in the form of the conflict in the Middle East and subdued external demand from Slovakia's largest trading partners. BRATISLAVA - Voice-SD would immediately quit the governing coalition if any of its partners sought to cut 13th pensions, Interior Minister and Voice-SD leader Matus Sutaj Estok said on STVR's politics programme 'Sobotne dialogy' (Saturday Dialogues). Meanwhile, his opponent on the show, MP and opposition Progressive Slovakia (PS) leader Michal Simecka views the 13th pensions in their current form as unsustainable for the state budget. "We'll end up in bankruptcy and then there won't be money for seven pensions, not even for 13," warned Simecka. He said that PS supports making 13th pensions more targeted. At the same time, it opines that the cost of 13th pensions could be halved. Sutaj Estok claimed that Voice-SD is the only party on the political spectrum that will keep on fighting for pensioners. ko