Slovakia will back EU accession talks with Ukraine only after assessing Kyiv’s reforms, says foreign minister
Bratislava is ready to support the opening of negotiations on Ukraine's accession to the EU after assessing Kyiv’s reform efforts, Slovakia's Foreign Minister, Juraj Blanár, said after the EU Foreign Affairs Council meeting in Brussels on Dec. 11.
“However our eastern neighbor still has a long and thorny road ahead to ensure that all necessary measures are not only adopted, but also implemented and respected," Blanár said.
Read also: Slovakia supports starting Ukraine’s EU accession talks
"I have confirmed that we will not provide military assistance at the government level, but we will continue to help Ukraine with humanitarian aid, including mine clearance and preparing energy infrastructure for winter, where we have already taken concrete steps."
“It is important to focus more on finding peaceful solutions [to Russia’s invasion] and to direct efforts towards Ukraine's reconstruction, which will help bring the country closer to EU membership.”
Read also: Europeans open to Ukraine joining EU according to latest survey
Blanár had previously said that under the current circumstances, he could not imagine Ukraine joining the EU, suggesting that Kyiv should be offered a prospect of accession in the future.
The EU’s Ambassador to Ukraine, Katarina Mathernova, has received assurances from Slovak officials that the country will support starting negotiations on Ukraine’s eventual EU membership.
The EU’s 27 heads of government are due to discuss the proposal at the EU Brussels summit on Dec. 14-15 — although Hungary’s Prime Minister, Viktor Orbán, has repeatedly said he opposes opening negotiations with Kyiv.
Vienna is presently opposed to starting talks on Ukraine's accession to the European Union, Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer said during a parliamentary session of the National Council’s EU Affairs Committee on Dec. 11.
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