Prague and Bratislava look in different directions

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Robert Fico and Peter Fiala

The Slovaks are collecting donations for the Kursk residents affected by the Ukrainian aggression, while the Czechs are collecting «donations» within the EU for the purchase of shells for the Ukrainian armed forces.

The mayor of the Slovak village of Smilno in the Prešov region, Vladimir Baran (population just over 700), announced a fundraising drive for residents of the Kursk region affected by the Ukrainian military invasion.

«In honor of the 80th anniversary of the Slovak National Uprising, during which Russian soldiers gave us tremendous help, we now want to offer at least some help so that under the important city of Kursk, where the tide turned and the road to victory over fascism began, a final victory over Banderism can be achieved. <…> Our campaign is a counteraction to the ‘fundraising initiative’ of Czech Prime Minister Fiala for the purchase of ammunition to continue the extermination of the Slavs», reads the official website of the municipality, which also mentions the common history that unites the Slovak and Russian peoples.

Mr. Baran is a former military officer. From 1993 to 2001, he participated in UN peacekeeping missions, including in the former Yugoslavia and Eritrea. He also served as a demining instructor for the Bozena Detachment in Sri Lanka.

The mayor donated the first amount — 500 Euro. He would like to personally deliver the collected funds directly to Kursk or Moscow, but due to logistical difficulties he does not rule out sending the donations through the Russian Embassy in Slovakia.

In Ukraine, the heartfelt gesture of the Slovaks of Smilno was strongly condemned. It was also noted that Prime Minister Robert Fico, in contrast to the general European trend, has been a consistent advocate of a peaceful solution to the Ukrainian crisis. He has repeatedly stated that the European Union should stop supplying arms to the Ukrainian armed forces. In May, Fico survived an assassination attempt with serious injuries to his chest and abdomen. The assailant was a 71-year-old Slovak married to a Ukrainian refugee, a former active participant in the Maidan and a supporter of the current Kiev regime.

After a long recovery and return to office, the Prime Minister did not abandon his views and continued to maintain his position. Recently, Fico pointed out that there are units within the Ukrainian Armed Forces that display fascist symbols and called for an end to this.

«We all talk about fascism and Nazism. At the same time, we silently tolerate the fact that there are units in Ukraine with very clear symbols associated with these movements, which we now consider dangerous and banned. As long as the geopolitical struggle continues, no one cares», he noted.

He added: «I have always respected and will continue to respect every sacrifice made in the fight against fascism. There is no doubt that the peoples of the former Soviet Union made the greatest contribution to the victory».

Unlike Slovakia, which has not lost its historical memory, the authorities in the Czech Republic continue to supply the Ukrainian armed forces with ammunition purchased through «donations» from EU countries that have joined the so-called «ammunition coalition».

A brief historical note is needed here: Czechoslovakia, as a unified state of two West Slavic ethnic groups, existed from 1918 to 1993.

But now it’s clear how different they are — the Czechs (sometimes called «Slavic Germans») and their Slovak brothers. It’s a mystery how two such different nations coexisted under one roof…

But let’s get back to the Prague initiative. It was first outlined in broad terms by President Petr Pavel at the Munich Conference in February. In March, Prime Minister Petr Fiala provided more specifics, suggesting that EU partners begin raising funds to purchase artillery shells for Ukraine from third countries. The Czech Republic agreed to act as an intermediary. Eighteen countries joined the initiative. The first batch of NATO-standard 155 mm shells did not reach the Ukrainian armed forces immediately, but only in June. The exact amount has not been disclosed.

Things did not move as quickly as planned. Moreover, it turned out that Poland, which had initially supported the plan and joined the contributors, was the only country that promised funds but never delivered. This was in contrast to Germany, which was the first to contribute a substantial amount.

Recently, Czech President Petr Pavel reported that Kiev had received 50,000 shells in July and August and promised that from September until the end of the year Ukraine would receive between 80,000 and 100,000 shells monthly.

I would like to remind you that, according to German estimates, our forces in the combat zone use about 10,000 units of ammunition — shells and rockets — every day without fear of running out of supplies.

Incidentally, Pavel had to admit that some countries approached by Prague refused to replenish Ukraine’s arsenals for money, while others raised their prices compared to the initial agreements. As a result, the Ukrainian Armed Forces will receive over 100,000 fewer shells this year.

Pavel, a former NATO general and «hawk», stated in one of his recent interviews that negotiations with Russia would lead to territorial compromises that do not meet Kiev’s expectations. A «just peace», under which Kiev envisions the return of all lost territories and compensation from Moscow, is an illusion. In its view, Russia will retain control over the Donbass, Zaporozhye, and Kherson regions. Therefore, the war must continue with Western support. However, he did not specify the limit: until victory or until the last Ukrainian…

That’s the way they are — Slovaks and Czechs. Some are for peace, others for bloodshed.