PRAGUE – Tensions flared but diplomacy prevailed as Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavský and his Slovak counterpart Juraj Blanár met Tuesday in Slovakia, seeking to salvage relations strained by diverging views on Russia’s war against Ukraine. The meeting, though cordial, underscored growing political divisions within the once-cohesive Visegrad Four group, which also includes Hungary and Poland. Founded after the fall of communism to support regional integration into Western institutions, the bloc is now fractured, with Czechia presenting itself as a staunch backer of Kyiv, and Slovakia maintaining ties with Russia and opposing stricter EU sanctions.
“Within the Visegrad Four, we are unable to find a fundamentally common position on the greatest geopolitical challenge Europe faces – Russian aggression against Ukraine,” Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavský told a press conference after the meeting. “Debate is more complicated than in other times,” he said. “Governments change, politics change – but the neighbourhood remains,” adding that shared geography means shared problems – and often shared solutions.
The meeting was held at the château in Topoľčany, a symbolic location that once served as a summer residence for Czechoslovak presidents. At odds over Ukraine Lipavský also reiterated his government's stance on the need to support Ukraine’s security and send a clear signal to Russia that borders cannot be infringed. Blanár, who is often criticised for his pro-Kremlin stance and past meetings with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, struck a different tone.
“From the beginning, even when we were in opposition, we said this war has no military solution. Time is proving us right,” he said. “We both want peace.
We just differ on how to get there.” Despite their differences, Blanár stressed that Bratislava and Prague agree on most other issues and defended the Visegrad Four format. “It’s not an organisation,” he assured. “It’s a platform for countries with a shared history.
And in areas like migration or the phase-out of combustion engines, we stand together.” Still, as Europe’s security crisis deepens, rifts within the group are raising serious questions about its future. For now, both ministers say they are committed to maintaining an open dialogue. (de)
