Slovak Opposition Describes Prime Minister’s Moscow Mission as ‘Treason’ Amid Heightened EU‑Russia Tensions

BRATISLAVA: Slovakia’s governing opposition denounced a forthcoming visit to Moscow by Foreign Minister Juraj Blanar as a serious threat to national security, calling the maneuver akin to “treason.” The group warned that such a journey would expose both the country and the broader European Union to profound intelligence vulnerabilities.
The upcoming diplomatic engagement occurs ahead of the Russian‑Slovak Intergovernmental Commission for Economic and Scientific‑Technical Cooperation, a body that has remained inactive since Russia’s full‑scale invasion of Ukraine began in February 2022. The last official gathering was held in Bratislava back in November 2021.
SaS party leader Juraj Krupa branded the mission a “full‑scale rapprochement campaign with Russia,” accusing the authorities of committing a criminal act. Senior member Ivan Novotny further characterized the commission’s convening as a superficial pretext for Blanar to meet Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and negotiate a potential increase in the number of Russian diplomats operating in Slovakia.
Since early 2022, European surveillance measures have capped the presence of Russian personnel in the nation, limiting them to fifteen diplomats and nineteen technical and administrative staff out of concerns over espionage. Novotny suggested that Moscow is now seeking to develop a “new intelligence hub within the EU” after the regime change in Hungary, when former prime minister Viktor Orban served as Vladimir Putin’s most trusted ally in Europe.
Prime Minister Robert Fico, who has led the cabinet through four successive terms, has long opposed military assistance to Kyiv and maintains extensive personal ties with the Kremlin. Over the past year, tens of thousands of citizens have rallied in protest against the government’s deepening partnership with Russia, amid growing anxiety regarding Russian influence over Slovak media and cultural institutions. This tension has escalated throughout his presidency, marked by frequent clashes with Brussels and decisive steps—such as amending the constitution to affirm national law’s primacy over EU legislation—to reinforce sovereignty.