MINISTER NAĎ MEETS UKRAINIAN AMBASSADOR MUSHKA: WE SUPPORT UKRAINE'S SOVREIGNTY AND TERRITORIAL INTEGRITY

Defence Minister Jaroslav Naď welcomed the Ambassador of Ukraine to Slovakia, His Excellency Mr Yuri Mushka to the Ministry of Defence today (11 February 2022). The discussion reflected on Slovak-Ukrainian defence and security cooperation in view of current developments on Ukraine's border.

Expressing Slovakia's strong support for Ukraine, Defence Minister Jaroslav Naď said: “Our position vis-à-vis Ukraine is clear and unwavering – we fully support Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity within its internationally recognised borders, as well as its reform process towards the European Union and the North Atlantic Alliance.”

Mr Naď reiterated that any armed intervention against Ukraine would have huge consequences not only for Europe, but also for the entirety of the Euro-Atlantic region. Therefore, he sees pursuing diplomatic dialogue and de-escalating tensions as the only way forward and a shared interest.

He went on to say: “At the Ministry of Defence, we are evaluating our options for how to help Ukraine in this difficult situation. What matters to me is that we demonstrate our solidarity with Ukraine, our neighbour, and that we find support that will be beneficial to our Ukrainian partners.”

On the situation in Ukraine, the defence minister articulated the necessity to continue stepping up our readiness and ability to respond decisively to all possible scenarios and praised ongoing multilateral discussions amongst Allies.

He added: “Close cooperation and coordination of all those involved is key to the transatlantic partnership. I am convinced that NATO is the best platform for a unified approach to resolving the current situation.” Finally, he reminded that next week he is joining Allied defence ministers in holding talks with the Ukrainian defence minister.