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Ukraine disappointed by Slovak PM's comments on Ukrainian soldiers

2 min read
Ukraine disappointed by Slovak PM's comments on Ukrainian soldiers
Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico during an interview in Bratislava, Slovakia, on April 25, 2023. (Michaela Nagyidaiova/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Ukraine's Foreign Ministry on Sept. 9 voiced its disappointment over claims made by Slovakia's pro-Russian prime minister, who urged Kyiv to address what he described as "fascist elements" within its military ranks.

Fico's remarks echo Russian narratives justifying its war against Ukraine, particularly the Kremlin's assertion that its 2022 invasion was aimed at "denazifying" Ukraine.

"We all talk about fascism, Nazism, and yet we tacitly tolerate the fact that there are units running around Ukraine which have a very clear designation, which are linked to movements that we now consider dangerous and forbidden," Prime Minister Robert Fico was quoted as saying.

Kyiv has said that Fico's comments undermine the current level of trust and cooperation between Ukraine and Slovakia.

In a statement published on Sept. 9, Ukraine's Foreign Ministry added: "Ukrainian soldiers are defending their families, homes, and country, as well as the entire Europe and the free world, from Russian invaders marked with the letter "Z" - a symbol of modern Russia's fascist aesthetics. Countering Russian aggression, for Ukrainians, adds to the nation's history of resistance against totalitarian regimes over the last century."

The ministry added that in the twentieth century, the Ukrainian people suffered "millions of losses" in the fight against Nazism.

Russia frequently labels Ukraine's leaders as Nazis, a narrative President Vladimir Putin has used since the first day of the full-scale invasion in February 2022.

As a NATO leader, Fico's alignment with the Kremlin's stance complicates President Volodymyr Zelensky's ongoing appeals for the Alliance to supply long-range weaponry and permit its use on Russian territory.

Russian oil flow to Hungary, Slovakia stable in July despite Lukoil ban, Bloomberg reports
Russian crude exports to Hungary and Slovakia remained within norms in July as the sanctioned Lukoil oil was offset by supplies from another Russian company, Tatneft, Bloomberg reported on Aug. 27, citing an undisclosed source.
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Olena Goncharova

Head of North America desk

Olena Goncharova is the Head of North America desk at The Kyiv Independent, where she has previously worked as a development manager and Canadian correspondent. She first joined the Kyiv Post, Ukraine's oldest English-language newspaper, as a staff writer in January 2012 and became the newspaper’s Canadian correspondent in June 2018. She is based in Edmonton, Alberta. Olena has a master’s degree in publishing and editing from the Institute of Journalism in Taras Shevchenko National University in Kyiv. Olena was a 2016 Alfred Friendly Press Partners fellow who worked for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette for six months. The program is administered by the University of Missouri School of Journalism in Columbia.

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