On Wednesday, September 24, reports on Slovakia’s role in EU discussions over a planned “drone wall” along the eastern border gave mixed signals. Initially, Slovak officials stressed that only states already affected by Russian drones or jets were directly invited, arguing it was natural Slovakia was not among them, as its territory had not been breached. Foreign Minister Juraj Blanár rejected claims of isolation, pointing to Slovakia’s participation in NATO and EU security talks, and emphasized support for allies under Article 4 consultations.
Later the same day, however, the European Commission confirmed that Slovakia will join Friday’s (September 26) talks with Ukraine, EU officials, and border states. Defense Minister Robert Kaliňák underlined that discussions on counter-drone defense are still at an early stage and no country has been excluded from the project.
Prime Minister Robert Fico noted the issue will also appear at next week’s informal EU summit in Copenhagen, warning of potentially high costs and unclear effectiveness.
Source: TASR
