Slovak Minister of Foreign Affairs Juraj Blanár of the ruling Smer party reiterated the country’s support for Ukraine’s EU bid on October 20.

“We think that Ukraine is ready in a way, but there are objections of some other countries, and we have to consider this,” Blanár was quoted as saying by daily SME following the EU foreign affairs summit in Luxembourg.

Blanár added that “this does not prevent Ukraine to continue with all the awaiting reforms”. 

Blanár's comments come shortly after the joint Slovak and Ukrainian cabinet session in Slovakia’s second largest city Košice in eastern Slovakia not far from the countries' shared border. The two governments agreed to continue with joint projects on electricity supplies, humanitarian aid and an opening of school for Ukrainian children in Slovakia.

Blanár also reiterated that the left-right government of populist Prime Minister Robert Fico is concerned about the impact of EU’s green policies and sanctions policies against Russia on the Slovak economy, including the country’s robust car industry and the energy prices in the country.

As bne IntelliNews reported last week, Fico has again invoked his country’s veto power to stall the latest 19th round of EU sanctions against Russia.

“I am yet more convinced that with the continued discussion of Ukraine, we in the EU are concealing our inability to solve our most important challenges and issues,” Fico posted on his Facebook social media profile following his “long telephone call” with the President of the European Council António Costa.

In the summer, Fico delayed the EU's eighteenth sanctions package against Russia, arguing Slovakia needs energy guarantees from the EU.

Fico has made energy a central focus of his Smer party’s pro-Kremlin turn, and repeatedly slammed the EU’s plans to phase out Russian energy imports by 2027. Slovakia nearly eradicated Russian gas imports during the winter of 2022-2023, but imports spiked following the return of Fico's left-right government in the autumn of 2023.

Slovakia has a valid contract with Gazprom until 2034, under which the Russian side is committed to sending its gas to Slovakia for free, covering gas transit fees all the way to the Slovak border.

Fico claimed earlier this year that Slovakia would face a lawsuit “for €16bn” if it reneged on the valid Gazprom contract and also argued that it would incur “more expensive transit fees”.

Previously, Fico had also argued that the Slovak gas transmission utility Eustream would lose income from gas transit fees. Czech energy and media oligarch Daniel Křetínský’s EPH has a 49% stake and managerial control in Eustream, while Slovakia retains 51%.

EPH also has a share in the distribution arm of  the country’s largest natural gas supplier, state-controlled Slovenský plynárenský priemysel (SPP). Non-parliamentary party the Democrats has accused Fico, the energy regulating authorities and EPH of fixing the energy prices on the Slovak market, as covered by bne IntelliNews last month.