Slovak Foreign Minister Says Ankara Summit Confirmed Slovakia's Firm Place in NATO

Slovakia's Foreign Minister Juraj Blanár said a NATO summit held in Ankara confirmed the country's firm anchoring within the alliance and demonstrated unity among its members. Blanár, a minister from Smer-SD — the ruling populist-social democratic party led by Prime Minister Robert Fico — made the remarks following the gathering of allied foreign ministers in the Turkish capital. The statement is notable given ongoing questions about Slovakia's geopolitical orientation under the current Fico government, which has taken positions on the war in Ukraine that have at times put it at odds with other NATO and European Union partners. Blanár characterized the summit as a show of allied cohesion, signaling that despite those tensions, Slovakia remains formally committed to the transatlantic alliance.