Ukrainian soldiers training to operate tanks and other armoured vehicles at Bovington Camp in Britain. (source: Ben Birchall, TASR )
February 24 marks one year since Russian military forces crossed Ukraine's borders and invaded the country.
Slovakia's President Zuzana Čaputová today called for her country to continue to stand by Ukraine’s side in a speech which she recorded in Ukrainian. Slovakia been helping its neighbour to tackle the ongoing humanitarian crisis: Ukrainians began fleeing the country and crossing the Ukraine-Slovakia border soon after the outbreak of the current conflict. Later, Slovakia contributed to the Ukrainian war effort by providing an entire S-300 misile air defence system, Slovak-made Zuzana howitzers and a range of other military aid.
Many Ukrainians who have crossed the border have sought work, despite numerous barriers. Parliament moved to improve legislation in order to make the employment market more inclusive.
Slovak officials stress that the war is not over yet.
“There is a saying in Slovakia that a wise person does not hesitate to save a neighbour’s house from fire,” Čaputová stated in her speech.
Helping Ukraine also benefits Slovakia
To continue helping Ukraine is in the national and security interests of Slovakia, said acting prime minister Eduard Heger (OĽaNO), also speaking on the first anniversary of the Russian invasion. Humanitarian help is important, but Ukraine would not manage to survive without military help. If Ukraine were to be defeated, that would make Russia Slovakia’s direct neighbour, added Heger. In his statement, the prime minister noted that eastern Slovakia would become a zone of tension, resulting in a decline in investment and damage to the Slovak economy, the TASR newswire reported.
Eastern Slovakia is already vulnerable to economic challenges, as the unemployment rate is higher there than elsewhere in the country. It is also the first place where most Ukrainian refugees seek shelter. The first tents in reception camps were set up on February 25, 2022, a day after the Russian invasion started. After being temporarily accommodated in the camps, Ukrainians are helped to either continue their journeys to other destinations, or to stay and look for housing and work. Most of the refugees are women with children, which has resulted in a rise in Ukrainian employment in the caring in the caring professions.
Russia need to cease its invasion, top diplomat says
Slovakia's top diplomat, Foreign Affairs Minister Rastislav Káčer, repeated his demand for Russia's military to immediately halt its attacks on Ukraine.
“Russia's attempts to re-draw the borders of an independent sovereign country is a serious threat not only to Europe,” Káčer stated during a UN meeting in New York, condemning the invasion as an act of war. According to him, Russia – which continues to describe its actions as a "special military operation" – uses manipulative rhetoric to communicate, spreads propaganda and twists facts, the TASR newswire reported.
Pro-Russian propaganda is a serious issue for Slovakia, according to acting Defense Minister Jaroslav Naď (OĽaNO). The conflict brought a whole new wave of disinformation and hoaxes, which preys on people who lack the right tools for critical thinking, Naď stated. The active spreading of propaganda and attempts to twist facts represent a threat to the western world’s stability, the minister added.
