Foreign Minister Juraj Blanár has reiterated its ongoing support for Ukraine during a meeting of the EU Foreign Affairs Council in Luxembourg. Blanár emphasized Slovakia's commitment to assisting Ukraine with energy supplies and humanitarian aid, tailored for the upcoming winter as well. Discussions between the Slovak and Ukrainian governments in Uzhhorod focused on some of Ukraine’s biggest issues; energy shortages and infrastructure disruptions. Slovakia aims to provide additional humanitarian aid packages, including non-lethal military technology like chemical detection systems and equipment for winterization.
Blanár talked about Slovakia's backing for a second Ukraine peace summit, hoping that countries from the Global South, including China, will participate. Slovakia intends to discuss the summit's significance during future diplomatic engagements with China. On the Middle East, Blanár condemned the escalating violence between Israel, Hamas, and Hezbollah. He further criticized Israel's move to include the UNRWA (UN Agency for Palestinian Refugees) on a sanctions list, warning that such actions could exacerbate the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
In another major development, EU foreign ministers agreed to expand sanctions on Iran for supplying ballistic missiles to Russia. These sanctions come after Tehran continued providing military equipment to Moscow despite previous warnings.
Blanár confirmed that the new measures specifically target Iranian individuals and companies but assured they would not affect Slovakia's economy or its citizens' livelihoods. The EU's actions are also a response to Iran's repeated violations of UN resolutions. Slovakia supports these sanctions, viewing them as a necessary step in addressing both Iran's role in the Ukraine war and its broader violations of international norms.
Source: TASR
