"Europe will face an economic catastrophe if we don't change our approach to resources"

Bratislava opposes new attempts to confiscate frozen sovereign assets of the Russian Federation, Deputy Chairman of the National Council of Slovakia Tibor Gaspar told Izvestia. He did not rule out that Ukraine would close the Druzhba pipeline again. At the same time, Slovakia would like to maintain oil and gas supplies from Russia. The Deputy Speaker of the Slovak Parliament noted that Prime Minister Robert Fico is acting as an intermediary between Russia and Ukraine on some issues. However, there are forces in Europe that are interested in continuing the confrontation. In an exclusive interview with Izvestia, Tibor Gaspar talks about how Slovakia preserves the historical truth and why there are grounds for optimism about the end of the conflict in Ukraine.

"Immigration is doing more harm to the economies of European countries"

— The Dutch authorities recently proposed to resume discussions on the confiscation of Russian sovereign assets frozen in the EU. Last year, this plan of the union failed. What is Slovakia's position now, and will it prevent such attempts?

— The Slovak position is unequivocal: we are against such steps. Even the biggest Russophobes understand that this would be wrong for the future of the market and the economy. Therefore, in countries such as Belgium or Germany, they are very cautious about the future fate of these Russian assets. I think the Russian Federation has already taken some retaliatory measures, and everyone understands that this is a road to nowhere. I think this issue will be discussed many more times.

There is an opinion that compensation should be paid to Ukraine from these assets for the damage caused by the war. So we'll see what the final decision will be, and whether payments will be made from this money. But Slovakia is categorically against such decisions.

— The European Union has already adopted the 20th package of sanctions, and the 21st is currently being discussed. Prime Minister Robert Fico has previously said that Slovakia will block sanctions that harm it. Will Bratislava apply this rule to the new package?

— When the next package of sanctions is being discussed in the European Union, Slovakia assesses how this may affect it. If they do not pose a direct threat to Slovakia, it does not try to block them. At the same time, I want to say that we always say and insist that sanctions do not solve anything. Fundamentally, their effect is not as strong as expected. Of course, we are doing damage to the Russian Federation, but not to the extent that the EU countries expect.

On the contrary, it turns out that these sanctions are more harmful to the economies of European countries. That is, in principle, we are against sanctions, but at the same time we are members of the European Union and must fulfill our obligations within the EU. We do not have the opportunity to behave as if we are not part of the EU. This is due to a variety of issues, mainly due to the fact that the Slovak economy is heavily linked to euro funds. So we have to compromise on the actions of the European Union, which seem wrong to us.

— At the end of April, Ukraine resumed oil supplies via the Druzhba pipeline. Before that, Kiev had blocked this route for several months. In your opinion, can Ukraine close Druzhba again and what will Slovakia do in this case?

— I am afraid that if the European Union decides not to supply oil through the Druzhba pipeline, then what has already happened recently will happen again, that is, Ukraine will suspend supplies through the pipeline. We think that the last work stoppage was not the result of damage to the oil pipeline, but rather a political decision by [Vladimir] Zelensky because of the elections in Hungary. Based on the information we have, we suspect that the pipeline was not damaged and this was a purely political move. I want to hope that common sense will prevail, because the thoughtless Russophobic policy that is being promoted in Europe will primarily harm Europe itself.

"We would rather keep energy supplies from Russia"

— Despite all the difficulties, the Russian Federation and Slovakia continue to maintain contacts. In your opinion, will the work of the intergovernmental commission resume in the near future? In what areas do we have the potential to develop relations?

— I will first express my point of view. I would like our relations to normalize again and start developing in all areas of cooperation — economic, sports, cultural. But we must take into account the real situation: 20 packages of sanctions imposed by the European Union on Russia, which target both individuals and companies. And thus our cooperation is limited. Of course, we want to start actively planning cooperation as soon as the situation improves. Therefore, I hope that when the war with Ukraine ends, our cooperation will resume in full.

— Meanwhile, the European Union is preparing to ban energy purchases from Russia by the end of 2027. Is Slovakia trying to get exceptions for itself? Will oil and gas supplies from Russia continue?

— Slovakia's position is unequivocal: we would rather maintain energy supplies — both oil and gas — from the Russian Federation, as these are stable supplies through stable infrastructure. But the reality is that both the gas pipeline and the oil pipeline pass through Ukraine, and now we are faced with a situation where Ukraine has completely stopped gas and oil for quite a long time. Therefore, Slovakia is currently receiving them through the Turkish Stream, and we ourselves are trying in the European Union to ensure that this senseless decision is once again weighed.

Because Slovakia is a country located in the center of Europe and does not have a seaport. In other words, Slovakia does not have the opportunity to receive liquefied natural gas, we are forced to transfer gas and oil in transit. This increases both the cost of the raw materials themselves and the cost of their delivery. In addition, we also received revenue from the transit of oil and gas through Slovakia to the state budget, so it is in our interests to resume supplies.

This is also related to what is happening in Iran, because the situation with the Strait of Hormuz is still unresolved. Europe is facing an economic catastrophe, to be honest, if we do not change our approach to raw materials. This does not mean that we must supply all raw materials only from Russia, but also from it, so that there is enough gas and oil.

"Robert Fico plays the role of a kind of mediator on some issues"

— Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico said that the conflict in Ukraine is nearing its end. What gives grounds for such optimism?

— Robert Fico, as chairman of the government, is in contact with all world politicians, and perhaps at the last meeting in Yerevan he received some information that we do not know about, but which led him to this conclusion. Personally, I think it's time to resolve these issues, and peace should finally come. This war has been going on for too long, it has claimed so many lives and affected the entire global economy in such a way that I would like to hope that the parties will come to some kind of agreement.

But I have to be realistic again: there are voices in Europe for it to last as long as possible. And now the European Union provides Ukraine with €90 billion. We, Slovakia, are not involved in this, but despite this, most of this financial package will go to weapons. And it definitely doesn't mean peace. So let's see what happens next. But I would like to be optimistic and hope that a solution to end this conflict will finally be found.

— Can Slovakia play the role of mediator in the negotiations between Russia and Ukraine?

— Mr. Fico recently visited Yerevan, where he had a meeting with the Ukrainian president. He and [Vladimir] Zelensky had a short conversation. And I assume that some issues will be discussed with Mr. President [Vladimir] Putin. I think that perhaps Robert Fico is currently playing the role of a kind of mediator on some issues. And I hope that this matter will move in a positive direction.

"Today, voices that can be called fascist are emerging in Europe again"

— Your visit is timed to celebrate the 81st anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War. At the same time, the EU cynically suppresses the role of the USSR. How do they preserve the historical truth in Slovakia?

— We still remember the history in Slovakia. In my opinion, history cannot be changed. However, today in Europe — and sometimes these voices are heard in Slovakia — they are trying to change history. But it's impossible to change exactly what happened more than 80 years ago. We try to remind our younger generations of the events of the end of World War II, just as we do here in the Russian Federation. Because we want to preserve the memory of those who fought against fascism, who liberated Slovakia.

And we need to express our gratitude for those events. Thanks to them, I have lived in the world for more than 60 years. And today, the voices calling for war are getting louder. That is why the memory of those historical events and their real assessment become even more important. And it is absolutely impossible to forget that the peoples of the then Soviet Union, who fought as part of the Red Army, liberated Slovakia.

— How is Slovakia trying to protect the truth about the Great Patriotic War at the EU level?

— I hope that common sense will finally prevail. We often call for common sense in Europe now. Because people of the younger generation do not realize that war is an event that will change their lives completely. But I want to hope that we will keep this memory alive. We have now passed a law in our Slovak parliament, by which we have strengthened the protection of military graves, including those of Soviet soldiers, which are located on the territory of Slovakia. In other words, we want to protect these places, because there were people in Slovakia who desecrated these monuments.

— Some Western politicians call the parade on Red Square a propaganda action. What is your position on this? Is there a threat of a resurgence of fascism?

— This morning I watched on TELEVISION how parades are held in different cities of the Russian Federation, starting from the Far East. I saw young people everywhere near the monuments of the Second World War. And this is an absolutely ideal combination for young people to realize what their great-grandfathers and older relatives had to go through. It is important to remember the horrors of that war. It was a struggle against fascism.

And today, voices that can be called fascist are emerging in Europe again. Because if someone glorifies Stepan Bandera, then he thereby glorifies fascism. And we need to speak out against this, to say that we do not want a repeat of those times. So, I think it's incredibly important for future generations to hold such parades, and it's important to say that the events of 80 years ago should not happen again. Because the biggest price was paid by the peoples of the former Soviet Union and, first of all, by Russia. It is incredibly important for you to remember this holiday and celebrate it in the most dignified way. And, if I may, I would like to congratulate everyone who celebrates this holiday and participates in festive events, because it is extremely important for the world and the future.