Kathrine Frich
The diplomatic effort sparked immediate and intense outrage.
When international alliances shift, forgotten channels of communication often suddenly reopen.
Some governments choose to quietly rebuild bridges that others have spent years trying to dismantle.
But when those controversial conversations happen at the worst possible time, a fierce public backlash is almost guaranteed.
Resuming old ties
Bratislava and Moscow are officially talking again. Slovak Foreign Minister Juraj Blanar recently jumped on a video call with a high-ranking Russian official to discuss future plans.
According to Onet he spoke directly with Valery Falkov, who serves as the Russian Minister of Science and Higher Education. They discussed bringing a dormant joint commission back to life.
The bilateral group handles economic, scientific, and technical cooperation. It has not actually convened for a meeting since 2021, but the newly proposed autumn gathering aims to change that.
A terrible anniversary
Back in Bratislava, the diplomatic effort sparked immediate and intense outrage. Opposition leaders quickly pointed out the highly controversial timing.
The video call happened on the exact same day that a deadly Russian drone and missile strike hit Ukraine and claimed another life. And the friendly conversation took place just hours before the 58th anniversary of the Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia.
Despite the fierce opposition, the government is strongly defending its diplomatic approach. “Today, we agreed with the Russian side on organizational issues related to preparing for the commission meeting, which we are planning for this fall,” Blanar told the media.
He added that Slovakia will continue its “foreign policy aimed at all corners of the world and based on maintaining dialogue with all countries interested in pragmatic cooperation.”
A dangerous partner
The push to restart the joint commission comes straight from the top. Prime Minister Robert Fico and Russian President Vladimir Putin personally decided to resume the diplomatic cooperation.
While local media outlets noted that the upcoming talks will not immediately violate any European sanctions against Russia, they offered a clear warning. Nobody can guarantee that future agreements will stay within those legal boundaries.
The choice of the Russian representative also fueled the intense domestic anger. The portal aktuality.sk reported that critics consider Falkov to be one of the most vocal supporters of the ongoing military action against Ukraine.
The Russian minister actively advocates for the introduction of “patriotic education” across the country, and he strongly supports military service for university students. Ukrainian intelligence officials have also linked him directly to the forced deportation and Russification of children from occupied territories.
Sources: Onet, Polish Press Agency, aktuality.sk
