On Tuesday 25 January 2022, President Čaputová reacted to the tense situation in Ukraine which was also discussed by the Security Council of the Slovak Republic.   

"The state of security in our region is deteriorating. For several weeks, the Russian Federation has amassed a large military presence on its border with Ukraine, our neighbour, without any clear justification. At the same time, at the end of last year, Moscow announced its requirements towards members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and the United States of America.  Russia’s requirements, in addition to others, include limiting Ukraine’s sovereignty regarding its ability to choose its foreign policy and defence partnerships. As far as the NATO military presence in our region is concerned, Russia requires that certain member states of the Alliance, including Slovakia, agree to a de facto return to their pre-NATO membership status.  

Unfortunately, despite our openness and ongoing diplomatic efforts, which I perceive as the best way to finding a solution to the current situation, the January negotiations with our Russian counterparts have failed to bring any reduction of tension; in fact, the tension has increased.  I consider dialogue with Russia to be necessary and correct.  We share one security space – the European continent, where we all, the large and small states, want to continue to live in safety. One of the fundamental preconditions for such coexistence is mutual respect for the rules which we jointly agreed upon, including the Russian Federation.  

Therefore, I understand and support the steps which the North Atlantic Alliance and the European Union have adopted – the offer to continue the dialogue with Russia on one hand and to support Ukraine and strengthen its ability to defend itself on the other. However, we also need to strengthen our own Slovak preparedness in the event that the situation continues to deteriorate and Russia attacks Ukraine again.   None of us wishes for this scenario and we need to do everything possible to prevent it from happening. However, it would be irresponsible to not be prepared – starting with the testing of our crisis management and defence systems, up to increasing our support of Ukraine and our communication with our allies and partners.

Contact between us, the representatives of the state, and our armed forces, has been intensive and reflects the seriousness of the situation. It is our basic duty to be ready for all possible scenarios.”