Matej Kandrik: Slovakia and Ukraine Are Good Neighbours

Matej Kandrik

What is Slovakia’s cooperation with Ukraine like today? Is it at the sufficient level? What could be changed or added not only between Ukraine and Slovakia but also within pan-European projects? Newssky has asked Matej Kandrik from Bratislava’s Adapt Institute (Slovakia) to comment.

The current level of relations between Ukraine and Slovakia is remarkable. Our relationship is very open, friendly, and supportive. We are good neighbors to each other. With winter coming, naturally, the character of nonmilitary help provided must change. Now we need to send more electricity generators, machinery spare parts for transformers, also blankets, warm clothes, heaters, medicine, etc., to ease the suffering of the civilian population and keep critical infrastructure functioning.

From a mid-to-long-term perspective, Ukraine will need to scale up its capabilities and capacities for demining. With fields, forests, and cities full of mines and unexploded ammunition, any return to normal life and reconstruction will be severely limited. This will be a huge task as specialist personnel needs to be trained and special systems and platforms provided. I certainly see a potential for a joint EU and NATO military engineering mission for demining Ukraine.

In Ukrainian

Maryna Kovalchuk, Newssky, contributed.