The Slovak Foreign and European Affairs Ministry chose to summon the Russian Ambassador to Slovakia and seek from him an explanation about the case of former Russian spy Sergei Skripal's poisoning in the United Kingdom, according to the TASR press agency. A spokesperson for the ministry said that Slovakia has unequivocally condemned the attack and has embraced last week's European Council resolution, in which EU member states declared their support for Great Britain. Slovakia, however, has not so far joined the UK, US, Canada and other 14 EU member states including the neighbouring Czech Republic in expelling Russian diplomats. A Russian diplomat has claimed that the nerve gas used in the attack could have come from the Czech Republic, Sweden, the United Kingdom itself, but also from Slovakia. Slovak authorities have rejected such a claim. On Tuesday Deputy Minister Lukaš Parizek said that the Russian ambassador to Slovakia apologized for including Slovakia on that list by mistake. Parizek added that Slovakia waits to see if the accusations against Russia are officially proven or not.
The actions of Slovak diplomacy have triggered mixed reactions. Ruling coalition junior member Most-Híd welcomes the decision of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to summon the ambassador of the Russian Federation to offer an explanation. "We consider it only the first step. We cannot accept an attack with a chemical weapon on the territory of the European Union," the party said in a statement sent to the SITA press agency. Slovakia's actions regarding the Skripal poisoning case should be guided by reason and governed by the principle that no party should be judged without being given a fair hearing first, said Anton Hrnko, a vice-chair for the Slovak National Party; a member of the ruling coalition.
Meanwhile, the opposition non-parliamentary party Progressive Slovakia has stated that it is totally incomprehensible and sad that Slovakia is not showing solidarity with its allies on the symbolic expulsion of Russian diplomats.
