Prime Minister Robert Fico made Slovakia’s position on the invasion of the Crimea peninsula clear yesterday, rejecting the legitimacy of this Sunday’s referendum in Crimea on its annexing to Russia,
Speaking to the Parliamentary Foreign Affairs Committee, Fico noted that the same stance is held by other member states and the European Council. the history of the Crime peninsula is complex, but it became part of Ukraine fully as part of the country’s pledge to decommission its nuclear weapons through the Budapest Memorandum on Security Assurances.
The memorandum was signed in December 1994 by Ukraine, Russia, the United States, and the United Kingdom, guaranteeing Ukraine security chiefly from Russia after the split of the Soviet Union. Russia never fully respected the agreement it signed, and now Crimea, mainly Russian populated, looks set to illegitimately become part of mother Russia again. A civil war could then ensue in Slovakia’s neighbour.
Hello Spider, nice to see you back on the web!
If you ever choose to use your reading abilities you will see that I have already posted a comment about my disgust, not only regarding the UK, but other western powers, who it would appear put commercial gain above the enforcement of their basic principals. In my opinion NATO battlegroups should have rolled over the Ukrainian border from day one, however I, like the rest of us, have to put up with namby pamby politicians who talk the talk but can’t walk the walk.
Now let us move onto the evergreen issue of the “Munich Betrayal”. The 1918 treaty that established Czechoslavakia was signed by 4 powers. Italy, who subsequently joined the Axis alliance, Russia, which despite having the largest land army, did not lift a finger to help. France, which still had a large continental army but was eager to avoid the slaughter it had endured in the Great War and the UK, which had the most powerful navy on the planet but a very small army. So please Mr. Expert – How exactly was a maritime power expected to help the most landlocked country in Europe – I’ll help you, it stood alone in Europe after the rest had been defeated, occupied or just plain changed sides (ring any bells?), built up its forces, took the fight to the Axis around the globe and subsequently, with the help of over 70 other nations, liberated Europe. Remind me again exactly what were you lot doing during this time? ( Q – George). Furthermore, I suspect that you are one of those clowns who actually believe that hidding in dark pub corners, rattling your keys, led to the fall of the USSR – news for you mister – the freedom you now enjoy was bought by people like me, from all the free nations, making it clear to the Soviets that we were not going to put up with their aims and paying for the weapons and technology to eventually face them down out of our pockets.
Finally, I have not critised Slovakia, I asked why the NATO AWACS were not in it’s airspace and suggested that the Slovak government could have issued a much stronger statement regarding the Ukraine earlier in the crisis.
Once again Dave C has some great points! The winner is Dave C!!!
Your knowledge of history is very poor. Please use the google next time.
There is no connection between establishing of Czechoslovakia and establishing of the alliances. The first happened in 1918 the second in the late 1920’s. You are an ignorant or a liar. Possibly both.
I still feel for the Kingdom of Hungary in 1920 when the Kingdom of Hungary lost a lot of their territory due to the Treaty of Trianon. This makes my grandparents Hungarian and not Slovak, non?
Try reading some of the definitive works on European political history, rather than your Commie era school text books, or better still use Google and read more broadly. What I stated was fact – if you don’t like it or it doesn’t fit with your purile perception of history, that’s your problem. I don’t lie and I am not ignorant, nor do I challenge what people post without at least making an effort to present a reasoned arguement. You are, without out doubt, a typical Slovak and one of the contributors to this country’s appalling state. I posed a reasonable question – How could a maritime country with no continental army support the most landlocked county in Europe? – if you can’t be bothered to assemble your limited intelect to give a response then please note that the childrens page is elsewhere – spend your time there and leave this section for adults. PLANK!
Plank! I bet you think that Germany and Ukraine are also landlocked countries, don’t you?
Mental retention of a goldfish? The issue you raised was regarding UK support for Czechoslovakia in the 1930’s, the geographical features of both Germany and the Ukraine are, like your opinions, irrelevant. Why don’t you address your comments to your commie friends. Russia, the closest and most able to come to the aid of CZR, not only signed a non-agression treaty with Herr Hitler but also agreed who would get what in the carve up of Eastern Europe, assisted in the invasion of Poland, even held a joint victory parade with the Krauts, did nothing to assist the Slovak National Uprising including refusal to allow Western forces to operate from their territory.
A day late and a dollar short comes to mind. Still it’s an improvement.
Staying with the general topic, I read that RAF crewed NATO Sentry AWACS are patrolling the air space over Poland and Romania but no mention of Slovak or Hungarian skies being used. It could be these aircraft can “see” across this gap or is it that these two allies have refused permission for the patrols? Does anyone know?
You ask stupid questions you answer them.
You better ask your own government how is going to keep it’s promise that the UK made to Ukraine in 1994? The same way as it kept it’s promise to Czechoslovakia in 1938 in Munich?
It’s funny to watch the UK asking the EU to guarantee that the sanctions against Russia won’t harm London financially. Money comes always first. And you dare to criticise other countries? Unbelievable!!