Slovakia’s foreign minister dropped a diplomatic bombshell 29 June, proposing that Russia be forgiven for its actions in Ukraine to achieve peace. Juraj Blanár told Slovak television the West and Russia might need to “forgive each other for everything that happened.”

Speaking on Slovakia’s STVR television broadcast, Blanár argued that the war has no military solution and called for a return to respecting international law while seeking dialogue with the Russian Federation, according to reports by Aktuality and Dennik.

“We must find a way to cooperate with Russia,” he said.

Here’s the contradiction: Blanár simultaneously announced Slovakia would beef up its military warehouses, stating that while the country opposes war preparation, it cannot afford to deter opponents with inadequate defense capabilities.

“We cannot simply watch as we go to deter an opponent with empty warehouses,” he explained.

Why the mixed signals? Blanár fears escalation.

“We don’t want a war to arise between Russia and NATO, because that would be World War III. We want the conflict to be settled peacefully.”

However, Blanár’s position faced immediate criticism from both Slovak and Ukrainian officials. Deputy Chairman of Slovakia’s Foreign Parliamentary Committee Tomáš Valášek warned that opening negotiations with Russia would not end the war, arguing that Moscow has no genuine interest in peace.

 “As long as Russia is successful on the battlefield, it will continue to kill, rape and abduct children,” Valášek said, referencing international arrest warrants against Putin.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha also fired back within hours:

“It’s naive to expect a criminal to stop if their crime is forgiven instead of punished. Russia will hit your other cheek as well. And those who have lost no one in this war have no right to make such statements,” Sybiha wrote.