Slovak president-elect suggests hosting Ukraine-Russia peace talks in Bratislava
Slovak President-elect Peter Pellegrini called for peace between Russia and Ukraine and said that if necessary, Bratislava could host possible talks, Aktuality reported on May 8.
Pellegrini is an ally of Prime Minister Robert Fico, who has been a vocal critic of military aid for Ukraine and sanctions against Russia.
Speaking on the occasion of the Victory in Europe Day in the city of Banska Bystrica, Pellegrini said that European leaders have a responsibility to ensure peace in Ukraine to avert "tragic scenarios."
"Let's talk about a ceasefire, about peace scenarios, let's mobilize diplomacy and approach weapons as a last resort," Pellegrini said without elaborating on concrete steps to achieve peace.
Except for unsuccessful negotiations in early 2022, there have been no direct peace talks between Kyiv and Moscow throughout the full-scale war.
Switzerland is hosting a peace summit for Ukraine in mid-June, with some 160 countries invited, with the exclusion of Russia. Moscow said it would not have participated even if asked.
The event will be centered around Ukraine's 10-point peace formula, a plan first outlined by Zelensky in fall 2022 that calls for a complete withdrawal of Russian troops from occupied Ukrainian lands, among other steps.
"In connection with the war in Ukraine, weapons are slowly starting to rattle in other parts of Europe and the world," Pellegrini noted.
"There are talks about the possible deployment of troops in the Russo-Ukrainian war, many are preparing for a military conflict, and diplomacy is hardening its vocabulary."
French President Emmanuel Macron has said on several occasions that Western allies should not rule out possible deployment of their own soldiers in Ukraine.
The remarks sparked a lively discussion in other Western capitals, with many NATO members, including Germany and the U.S., emphatically rejecting the possibility.
Nate Ostiller
