Slovak student wearing Ukrainian ribbon refuses to shake hands with president
A Slovak student receiving an award at the presidential palace for placing in a mathematics competition has refused to shake hands with Slovak President Peter Pellegrini.
The student, Simon Omaník, was awarded a bronze medal at the Central European Mathematics Olympiad by Education Minister Tomáš Drucker.
When the minister suggested that Omaník shake hands with President Pellegrini, who was standing next to him, the student declined – even though the president had already extended his hand. After the awkward moment, Omaník, Drucker and Pellegrini posed together for a group photo.
No detailed explanation has been provided by Slovak media as to why Omaník, who attends a secondary school in Bratislava, refused to shake Pellegrini’s hand. However, a large ribbon in the colours of the Ukrainian flag can be seen on the student’s jacket.
Toto ste zachytili? Ten chalan je u mňa akoze macher pic.twitter.com/g65ZZLn8eL
Advertisement:– Jakub Bajzath (@BajzathJakub) January 13, 2025
Last week, President Pellegrini said he would not visit Kyiv on an official trip, citing Ukraine's decision to halt the transit of Russian gas. In December, Pellegrini suggested that Ukraine will need to make territorial concessions to achieve peace.