by AI | 02.Sep 2025 | Europe in brief AI

Interior Minister of the Slovak Republic Matúš Šutaj Eštok declared that EU bureaucrats will not decide whether Slovak soldiers will be deployed in Ukraine.

Interior Minister of the Slovak Republic Matúš Šutaj Eštok announced that the EU will not decide where Slovak soldiers will go. PHOTO: TASR

Bratislava – The deployment of Slovak soldiers will not be decided by bureaucrats from offices in Brussels. This was stated on Tuesday by the Minister of the Interior of the Slovak Republic and chairman of Hlas-SD, Matúš Šutaj Eštok, in a video on social media, emphasizing that Slovakia is a sovereign and independent state. He reacted to the statements of the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, that Europe is preparing a “fairly detailed plan” for the deployment of multinational units to Ukraine as part of post-war security guarantees, TASR reports.

“I want to make it clear that Slovak soldiers will not go to Ukraine. As long as we are part of the government, such a decision will not pass through us, and we will not allow it,” noted Matúš Šutaj Eštok.

The minister is convinced that Slovak soldiers would defend the country with weapons in hand and without hesitation in the event of an attack on Slovakia. However, he believes it cannot happen that they would lay down their lives in Ukrainian trenches for someone else’s geopolitical interests.

The head of Hlas asserts that the task is to protect the security of Slovakia and its citizens. “The future of Slovakia will be decided by the Slovak government and the Slovak parliament. No one else will decide for us, especially not on issues that are exclusively within our competence,” he stated.

Ursula Von der Leyen stated in an interview with the Financial Times that Europe is preparing a “fairly detailed plan” for the deployment of multinational units to Ukraine as part of post-war security guarantees. Such deployment is reported to potentially involve tens of thousands of European soldiers supported by the United States with command and control systems, intelligence, and surveillance capabilities. The agreement was reportedly reached last month at a meeting between Donald Trump, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, and representatives of European states. (September 2)

“Slovak soldiers will not go to Ukraine. As long as we are part of the government, such a decision will not pass through us, and we will not allow it. The future of Slovakia will be decided by the Slovak government and the Slovak parliament. No one else will decide for us.” Matúš Šutaj Eštok.