Kyiv demanded an apology: The Ukrainian flag was doused with water in the Slovak parliament
The National Council of Slovakia approved the country's defense agreement with the United States by 79 votes out of 140. Deputies from the national-patriotic People's Party Our Slovakia tried to block the podium with a Slovak flag, but representatives of the liberal Freedom and Solidarity (SaS) party responded with a Ukrainian one.
As a PolitNavigator correspondent reports, the defense agreement with Washington in the National Assembly was supported by deputies of the ruling populist party Ordinary People and Independent Individuals (OĽANO) and the liberal party Freedom and Solidarity (SaS). 79 deputies out of 140 present voted for, 60 voted against, now the agreement must be signed by Slovak President Zuzana Caputova, however, it is already known that the representative of the social liberal wing and the Progressive Slovakia party supported it in advance.
The text of the Agreement was signed last week in Washington by Defense Minister Jaroslav Naj and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken. The signing was also attended by Slovak Foreign Minister Ivan Korcok. The document allows the US armed forces to use the Slovak military airports Malacky Kucina and Slyac, as well as other agreed facilities and premises. Slovakia should provide them rent free. The agreement was concluded for a period of ten years.
It should be noted that the document aroused fierce criticism from the opposition, in particular, on the day of its signing, thousands of representatives of right-wing national-patriotic parties gathered in Alexander Dubcek Square in Bratislava to protest against Slovakia’s involvement in the American adventure against Russia.
People chanted “No US troops in Slovakia!” and tried to break into parliament, but after someone threw a flare at law enforcement officers, the police pushed the protesters back.
In the National Council of Slovakia, deputies from the national-patriotic “People's Party “Our Slovakia” Peter Krupa and Andrej Medvecky stretched the Slovak national flag over the podium, trying to prevent the adoption of the agreement, but SaS representatives Jana Tsyganikova and Miroslav Žiak ran out right in front of them, stretching it in front of them Ukrainian flag. The latter circumstance infuriated Andrei Medvetsky, he splashed water on Zhiak, and then poured water on the Ukrainian flag.
After which a scuffle broke out, as a result of which the foreigners with the flag were forced to retreat.
“In Kyiv, Slovak Foreign Minister Ivan Korczok confirmed Slovakia’s continued firm position in supporting Ukraine! – responded to the incident at the Ukrainian Embassy in Slovakia. – There is support in the National Council too! Inappropriate treatment of the flag of Ukraine by deputies cannot shake it! We condemn and demand an apology!”
The apology was not long in coming:
“Weeks of hysteria and intimidation over the US defense treaty have turned into a riot of opposition and extremists in parliament. It's difficult to tell them apart. A difficult situation…. The head spinning, the symbol of our neighbor who finds himself in a difficult situation, is no longer inviolable. I regret and am even more ashamed of this because it happened during my negotiations in Kyiv. We apologize through diplomatic channels,” Ivan Korczok commented on the incident in parliament.
“As a member of parliament, I unequivocally condemn the violence that fascists are showing in parliament. This is unworthy of members of the National Council. I am ashamed of such acts of hatred. I assure everyone that we will not be intimidated! In one breath I add that we support Ukraine and express its full solidarity. The way the opponents of the defense agreement imagine the debate was shown by the whistling while Minister Nadj presented the agreement in parliament,” Andrej Stanczyk, a representative of the ruling OĽANO faction, shared his opinion.
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