Rift between the Czech Republic and Slovakia
Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala has suspended government-level talks between Prague and Bratislava, citing the pro-Russian stance of his Slovakian counterpart Robert Fico. The decision marks a low point in relations between the two countries which were a joint state for 75 years. Commentators are also unhappy about the situation.
Time to go separate ways
Echo24 comments:
“Sometimes opinions are just too different. Perhaps that time has come in Czech-Slovak relations. While Fico talks openly about the EU supporting the mutual killing of Slavs, the Czech government is organising the purchase of 800,000 pieces of artillery ammunition for Kyiv. These are indeed diametrically opposed starting points. ... Let Fico pursue his own foreign policy. For the Czechs, this is an opportunity to cultivate perhaps less cordial but more normal relations with Bratislava, similar to those we have with our other neighbours.”
Robbed of our best ally
Aktuality.sk is saddened by the situation:
“Prime Minister Fico has robbed us of our best friends and allies, the Czechs. The Czech government's decision is disastrous news for Bratislava. ... Moreover, it is more than likely that our other allies in the EU and Nato will soon follow suit. Because as the Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavský said, if you try to maintain diplomatic ties on both sides, as Slovakia has done, experience shows that you 'usually end up on just one side'. Nobody likes traitors.”
Fiala is the troublemaker, not Fico
Pravda pins the blame for this latest development on Prague, not Bratislava:
“It's not Fico who has cooled the bilateral relations to freezing point, but the Czech side. The joint meetings are not just about relations between the two governments, but also about relations between the two nations, regardless of which government is in power. This had been successfully managed so far. Moreover, Fiala is indirectly interfering in the internal affairs of our brother state, which has never happened before. Fiala is playing the hero. But heroes don't cut the ropes, they serve.”