Ukrainian FM Rejects Slovak Call to “Forgive” Russia for War Crimes
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha has sharply rebuked his Slovak counterpart, Juraj Blanár, for suggesting that the West should consider “forgiving” Russia for its invasion of Ukraine.
The Gaze reports on this with reference to Sybiha’s post on social media platform X.
In the statement, Sybiha stressed that Russia’s sense of impunity is what fuels its continued aggression, warning that any calls for forgiveness in the absence of justice would only invite further violence.
“Juraj, Russia’s sense of impunity is the root cause of its crimes,” Sybiha wrote. “It’s naive to expect a criminal to stop if their crime is forgiven instead of punished. Russia will hit your other cheek as well.”
The Ukrainian FM also pointedly noted that those who have not experienced the human cost of war firsthand have no right to make such statements.
His comments came in direct response to Blanár’s televised interview on Slovak public broadcaster STVR, where the Slovak FM claimed that Russia’s war against Ukraine has no military solution and called for renewed diplomatic engagement with Moscow.
He went so far as to suggest that the West should “perhaps even forgive everything that happened.”
Blanár’s remarks are consistent with the broader approach of Slovakia’s current government, led by Prime Minister Robert Fico, which has maintained open channels of communication with the Kremlin despite Russia’s 2022 full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Since returning to power in 2023, Fico has traveled to Moscow twice and met with Russian President Vladimir Putin, drawing criticism from Kyiv and some EU capitals.
Bratislava has also been accused of obstructing EU sanctions against Russia, placing Slovakia among a small minority of EU member states that have pursued closer ties with Moscow amid the ongoing war.
Ukrainian officials have called on Western partners to uphold accountability, insisting that durable peace can only be achieved through justice, not concessions.
Read more on The Gaze: Are Ukraine’s Allies Ready to Take Sanctions Against Russia to the Next Level in 2025?