Slovak prime minister makes a scandalous statement about Crimea

Last week during a forum in Bratislava the head of Slovakia’s government Robert Fico stated that the issue of Russia’s annexation of Crimea is considered to be settled in Europe. At the same time, according to SME, a Slovak periodical, the prime minister emphasized that Ukraine should not join NATO.

It is well known that in 2011 Fico visited the United Russia party’s congress in Moscow. However, a question arises why the head of a neighboring country does not understand that Russia is not going to stop in Crimea, it needs a dry land corridor to the annexed peninsula. This should be realized via Putin’s Novorossia. This is so obvious, that Fico’s statement about the settlement of the Crimean question strikes as strange. Maybe the Ukrainian foreign ministry has failed to explain the situation to Slovakia’s leaders? Moreover, leaders of two more countries have already understood the emptiness of their statements.

A source in the foreign ministry explained off record that each Eastern European politician has their own inner agenda and relations with the Russian Federation, and each leaks such theses from time to time. As far as Slovakia goes, said the diplomat, it does not acknowledge the annexation of Crimea, but it expresses its opinion: this issue is not in the focus of international negotiators. According to our source, at present it is dangerous to criticize Slovakia. “They can say, hey, you are criticizing us, what about us securing your survival by providing energy?”

Yet no matter how complicated the issue is, Ukrainian diplomacy must stand up for Ukraine’s interests.

“SUCH STANDPOINT DOES NOT REFLECT THE APPROACHES IN GLOBAL POLITICS”

Dmytro KULEBA, Ambassador at   Large for Ukraine’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Kyiv:

“The standpoint voiced by Slovakia’s Prime Minister Robert Fico does not reflect the approaches in global politics towards the Crimean problem. Crimea is once and for all Ukrainian, and so it will be. The entire international community is working to solve this problem. During the recent visit of Ukraine’s President Petro Poroshenko to Slovakia, the hosts confirmed Slovakia’s support of Ukraine’s territorial integrity. At the same time, given the latest statement of the foreign ministry, a number of measures have been taken in our mutual relations aimed to keep any future comments constructive and based on facts rather than on speculations. I would also like to emphasize that, political rhetoric aside, we greatly appreciate the concrete help that Slovakia extends to Ukraine now, first of all in what concerns our energy security.”

Some Western politicians say that Ukraine should forget about Crimea.

“Our position is very simple, and we are reiterating it again and again. This is not our personal Ukrainian problem, it is a problem for all. If we now turn a blind eye to what happened to Crimea and to what is going on in the east, Russia will always be talking to all the Europeans in an absolutely different manner.”

By the way, how would you comment on Khodorkovsky’s statements about the need to look for a compromise between Europe and Russia, the only alternative to which, according to the YUKOS ex-boss, being a global war?

“Indeed, the ghost of war is overhanging Europe, everyone is scared of it and wants to prevent it at any cost. Actually, thence the current hard pressure against the Russian Federation. I think that Mikhail Khodorkovsky’s words mean that he, as a Russian citizen who still has some political prospects in that country, wants to show his concern with Russia’s people, protect them directly from the negative consequences of those political decisions which are passed by Russia’s leadership, and offers that Europeans focus immediately on those guilty for such irresponsible decisions. In other words, I      would interpret this statement as one meant for the Russian audience.”

“SUCH STATEMENTS ARE INCREASINGLY MARGINALIZING THE PRIME MINISTER AS POLITICIAN”

Grigorij MESEZNIKOV, president, the Slovakian Institute for Public Affairs, Bratislava:

“The SME has already criticized Prime Minister Fico’s statement. Basically, he hasn’t said anything new. From the very start the Slovak prime minister has posed as the opponent of sanctions and believes that negotiations are necessary, so that Slovakia does not get economically hurt. Such statements are increasingly marginalizing the prime minister as a politician. It is absolutely obvious that the EU is pursuing an absolutely different course than Fico, who in this case speaks only for himself. He is not speaking for the majority of the EU members. By the way, our official stand on the situation is hardly different, it has not a bit changed. That is to say, we support the sanctions, we help Ukraine by providing the reverse flow of gas. This was his personal opinion which, I believe, should not affect the nation’s stand. I am convinced that the response of Slovakia’s oppositional political parties (and they are all in opposition except SMER) will be critical.”

Is there an understanding in Slovakia that Crimea will not be the last chapter? Even now Russians demand a dry-land corridor to the peninsula, because food delivery across the Strait of Kerch is unreliable. Here the EU’s stand must be rigid.

“Of course, the EU has taken (and will keep) a rigid standpoint in the matter of the unlawful annexation of Crimea. But here he also declared that, according to his own information, there is 70 percent chance of a major conflict for Europe, in which Slovakia will suffer. Besides other things, such interpretation of events is whitewashing Russia indirectly. As if someone else but Russia is going to interfere in Ukraine’s home affairs. On the contrary, the EU supports Ukraine and is not going to engage in a military conflict with Russia on Ukraine’s ground. That is why Fico’s recent statement is so odd. I   think this will also become a subject for criticism.”

Fico also recommended that Ukraine should not join NATO. However, Alliance membership guarantees Slovakia’s security. Likewise, Ukraine too would feel protected in the collective security system, and Russia would have hardly ventured to attack it. Why make such recommendations?

“It is not for him to decide, but for NATO and Ukraine as the aspiring member. Thus, a NATO member’s opinion is important, but it is not for him to take the decision. Anyway, at the moment when the matter is practically essential, Fico will not be in office. By the way, he allowed a possibility of his own resignation. In various cities workers from other industries, namely health care, are protesting. Corruption scandals are also involved. Fico is under criticism. He assumed the following attitude: you will see, I am going to resign, and everything will become even worse. Of course, this is just peacockery and he is not going to resign. Yet the matter of Ukraine’s NATO membership will be decided without his participation, when the time is ripe.”

“SANCTIONS ARE THE MOST EFFICIENT METHOD  AT PRESENT”

The former boss of YUKOS Mikhail Khodorkovsky said at the European Parliament that sanctions against Russia were a mistake, they should have been selectively applied against the corrupt politicians, and not against the entire nation. Besides, he believes that Europe should find a compromise with Russia over Ukraine, otherwise there is no alternative but global war. What can you say about such recommendations from Putin’s former prisoner?

“Sanctions have to be applied to the entire country as such. For the West in this situation, the only possibility to influence Russia in some way is to impose hard-handed economic measures. Of course, they can affect the population. But first and foremost, this is the responsibility of the Russian government. It is the government that takes steps which trigger international response. In this case, the international community must worry more about itself and Ukraine than about ordinary Russian citizens, for whom Russia’s government is responsible. It has to think about the West’s possible reaction. Therefore Khodorkovsky’s statements should be seen through the prism of his apparent desire to develop his political career in Russia. As a Russian politician anxious to win the voters’ support he says that the sanctions were a mistake. I  think that sanctions at present are the most efficient means of countering the expansion of Russia’s aggression.”