Slovak parliament deputy speaker criticises Zelenskyy and aid to Ukraine in interview with Russian propaganda

Tibor Gašpar, the Deputy Speaker of the Slovak Parliament and a member of the leading SMER-SD party, gave an interview to the Russian state-owned news agency TASS, in which he claimed that Ukraine had received sufficient assistance and complained about Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Gašpar stated that Western countries, particularly in Europe, have imposed numerous sanctions on Russia, and now "it is becoming clear that these sanctions are increasingly harming the economies of European countries as well as Russia itself".

"This is already affecting the living standards of Europeans – they are deteriorating. That is why the opinion that Ukraine has already received enough aid is becoming louder and louder, and we need to think about how to protect the interests of our citizens first and foremost," Gašpar said.

Gašpar also suggested that this is why political parties focused on safeguarding their citizens' interests, rather than continuing "this endless story with Ukraine", are gaining power in various countries.

He warned that if Volodymyr Zelenskyy continues to "harm the national interests of our country",  Slovakia and possibly Hungary will veto further assistance to Ukraine.

"Ukraine must act as a reliable partner to us, and assistance should be mutual. We cannot operate on the principle that Ukraine will act solely in its own interest. I believe all these decisions are entirely down to Zelensky."

Tibor Gašpar was among the Slovak MPs who recently visited Moscow.

He has also admitted the possibility of Slovakia's withdrawal from the EU.