Slovakia backs Ukraine peace talks, warns EU risking trust in Western Balkans

BELGRADE

Slovak President Peter Pellegrini said on Sunday that his country supports ending the conflict in Ukraine through negotiations and welcomes Donald Trump's involvement in the process, expressing hope that 2026 will be a year of peace.

Speaking at a joint press conference in Belgrade following talks with Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, Pellegrini warned that the European Union's continued delays in the enlargement process risk eroding trust in the Western Balkans.

“The European Union is gambling with the trust of Western Balkan citizens,” Pellegrini said, adding that postponing the opening of EU negotiation clusters for Serbia represents “a political game by some member states.”

He said Slovakia opposes introducing additional political conditions into Serbia’s accession talks, stressing that Belgrade has the right to EU membership if it meets the established criteria. According to Pellegrini, progress should be assessed on merit rather than political considerations.

Pellegrini warned that prolonged delays could lead people in the region to abandon the European perspective altogether, a development he said would weaken the EU’s long-term security and credibility.

Addressing the conflict in Ukraine, he reiterated Slovakia’s position that the war should be resolved at the negotiating table.

He praised Trump's involvement in peace initiatives and emphasized the importance of intensifying diplomatic efforts to end the conflict. “I hope that 2026 can be a year of peace,” he said.

Vucic, for his part, said Serbia and Slovakia agreed to further strengthen cooperation, including continued military-technical collaboration and closer ties in the energy sector.

He noted that Serbia aims to learn from Slovakia’s experience, particularly in training experts in nuclear energy, stressing that expanding electricity capacity will be crucial for the country’s future development.

International efforts to end the war in Ukraine have increasingly focused on diplomatic channels as the conflict, which began with Russia’s invasion in February 2022, continues to strain regional and global security. While Kyiv insists on the restoration of its territorial integrity, calls for negotiations have grown louder amid concerns over the war’s long-term consequences.

The Western Balkan countries remain at different stages of the EU accession process. The region—Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Serbia—has been involved in European integration for over two decades.

Montenegro and Serbia are formally conducting accession negotiations with the EU, while North Macedonia and Albania opened talks in 2022 but await concrete progress.

Bosnia and Herzegovina was granted candidate status the same year but has not yet begun negotiations, while Kosovo remains the only country in the region without candidate status.

EU officials have repeatedly said the future of the Western Balkans lies within the bloc, but internal divisions and the slow pace of reforms have continued to hinder the enlargement process.

Pellegrini is on an official visit to Serbia, during which the two leaders also discussed bilateral relations, regional stability, and cooperation within the EU integration framework.