“Security threats are to the east of NATO's borders,” stated Miroslav Lajčák Slovak Foreign and European Affairs Minister after the conference of NATO ministers adding that Slovakia is in the eastern-most region of the Alliance.
He further noted that “while over the past ten years the Alliance had been focusing on operations far from its borders, there's now the need to boost measures within its territory.” On Tuesday NATO confirmed a temporary freeze on technical and political relations with Russia due to its engagement in Crimea. “It was stated that de-escalation needs to come from the Russian side as the escalation came from there. We're ready to re-evaluate the measures at any time,” stated Lajcak. He also stated that he'll inform top Slovak political representatives about the results of the conference of NATO ministers so that measures can be adopted in line with the new NATO strategy, which reflects the changed security situation in Europe.
