Slovak Coalition Partner Urges Fico to Condition Zelensky Talks on Bandera Issue

Andrej Danko, leader of the Slovak National Party (SNS) and a junior partner in Prime Minister Robert Fico's ruling coalition, has called on Fico to refrain from holding talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky until Ukraine addresses the issue of the glorification of Stepan Bandera. Bandera was a Ukrainian nationalist leader from the World War II era whose followers, known as Banderites, are accused of carrying out massacres of Polish and Jewish civilians. His legacy remains deeply controversial in Central and Eastern Europe. Danko pointed to the stance of Polish President Karol Nawrocki, who he said sent a clear signal that the glorification of individuals associated with massacres of the Polish population is unacceptable. The call reflects ongoing tensions within Slovak political circles over the country's approach to the war in Ukraine, with Fico's government maintaining a notably more skeptical position toward Kyiv than most EU member states. By invoking the Bandera controversy — a sensitive historical issue that has also strained Polish-Ukrainian relations — Danko is seeking to attach conditions to any diplomatic engagement between Bratislava and Kyiv.