H.E. Mr. Igor Pokojný:

This is a very good question, not only for Slovakia but for other countries in the EU as a whole. Even in Ireland we can already see that something is going on with gas prices. The impact will be on Europe as a whole and the rest of the world. We support sanctions against Russia because we think it is one of the ways to eliminate Russian aggression.

The situation in Slovakia depends on Russian energy carriers. There are two views. On the one hand, this can accelerate our transition to carbon neutrality, which is good. On the other hand, it will be very challenging and require mutual solidarity among EU countries. As I mentioned, Slovakia is dependent on a supply of gas, oil or raw materials from the east. Now it will rely on that coming from the west. In this sense, Slovakia would be at the end of the supply chain.

We support sanctions. We think they will be challenging, but necessary. They are painful not only for Russia. They hit Russia where it hurts, and we can see that, but they also hit other countries. Nevertheless, it is important to isolate Russia. However, we will strongly support mutual action at an EU level in terms of the supply of raw materials. We will not be alone. We are all in the same boat.