Slovak reactions to Zelenskyy-Trump meeting

As of Saturday at noon, some representatives of the Slovak political scene have commented on yesterday’s meeting between US President Donald Trump, US Vice President JD Vance, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Prime Minister Robert Fico reiterated that he would not support Ukraine either financially or militarily so that it could continue the war. “If others do so, we will respect that,” he said.

Looking ahead to the next EU summit, which will take place on Thursday, 6 March, Fico plans to suggest that a call for an immediate ceasefire be included in the summit's final statement. Slovakia also requires that the conclusion of the war includes an explicit demand to reopen gas transit through Ukraine to Slovakia and Western Europe.

President Peter Pellegrini welcomed Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s idea that it is time to hold an emergency EU-US summit on Ukraine and European security. He expressed his belief that the EU will behave responsibly and, above all, actively in this escalated situation.

Former President Zuzana Čaputová expressed her support to the people of Ukraine who are “defending their right to live”. Former Foreign Minister Rastislav Káčer asserted he had not previously seen any negotiation tactics like Trump’s, tactics which seem “to publicly humiliate his counterpart before the negotiations, hit him over the head with a stick, and then try to get the best possible terms.”

By the end of day Friday, top EU representatives had already begun to comment on the meeting at the White House.

Both European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President António Costa assured the Ukrainian President of Europe's unwavering support for Ukraine. “You are not alone,” is the message of the major EU member states, including France, Germany, Italy, and Spain. On the other hand, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán expressed his support of Donald Trump.

In support of Ukraine's sovereignty and security, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has called a summit for Sunday, which will be attended by representatives of more than ten European countries, including the Czech Republic, Germany and France, excluding Slovakia.

Source: STVR, SME, Dennik N