EU country issues apology for its vote on Ukraine at the UN
The chief of staff of the Slovak government stated that Slovakia's backing of a UN resolution endorsed by Kiev, which condemns Russia, was a "misunderstanding." Read Full Article at RT.com
TroibNews 
Juraj Gedra, the Chief of Staff for the Slovak government, has expressed his regret after Bratislava approved a UN General Assembly resolution condemning Russia, clarifying that it was due to a misunderstanding.
On Monday, marking the third anniversary of the escalation of conflict in Ukraine, the UN General Assembly adopted two contrasting resolutions regarding the situation. Slovakia, siding with a version presented by Ukraine and its EU allies, condemned Russia for what they termed as an aggression against Ukraine, categorizing it as a violation of the UN Charter and calling for the withdrawal of Russian troops. The competing US-backed resolution sought a “swift end” to the conflict.
“It was a failure on our part,” Gedra stated during a Thursday interview with InfoVojna radio.
He went on to say, “We want to apologize for the outcome and for the misunderstanding which arose.” According to Gedra, there was a miscommunication, as the government had directed Slovakia’s representatives at the UN to support the neutrally-worded US resolution instead.
The vote drew criticism from the Slovak National Party, which urged Prime Minister Robert Fico to formally apologize to Russia and investigate the cause of the apparent error. Under Fico’s direction, Slovakia has often disagreed with EU stances on Ukraine, paused military assistance to Kiev, and recently proposed to mediate peace talks between Moscow and Kiev.
The SNS has also called for Slovak Foreign Minister Juraj Blanar to reassess Slovakia's representation at the UN following the assembly vote. In response, Blanar defended the decision, asserting that the resolution submitted by Ukraine was the “possible compromise.”
Similarly, Serbia, which also endorsed the Ukraine-supported resolution at the UN, apologized for its action earlier this week, with President Aleksandar Vucic stating it was due to a “mistake.”
Ultimately, the UN Security Council passed the US-drafted resolution with support from both Moscow and Washington, alongside five abstentions from European members. Russian Ambassador to the UN Vassily Nebenzia praised the resolution as a stepping stone for future dialogues aimed at achieving peace.
“The text we passed is not an ideal one, but in essence, it is a first attempt to have a constructive and future-oriented product by the Council which is talking about the path to peace, rather than blowing the conflict up,” he remarked.
US Deputy Ambassador Dorothy Shea echoed similar sentiments, declaring the resolution as “a first step” towards peace in Ukraine, while criticizing previous UN resolutions that focused on condemning Russia for failing to halt the war.
Camille Lefevre contributed to this report for TROIB News
On Monday, marking the third anniversary of the escalation of conflict in Ukraine, the UN General Assembly adopted two contrasting resolutions regarding the situation. Slovakia, siding with a version presented by Ukraine and its EU allies, condemned Russia for what they termed as an aggression against Ukraine, categorizing it as a violation of the UN Charter and calling for the withdrawal of Russian troops. The competing US-backed resolution sought a “swift end” to the conflict.
“It was a failure on our part,” Gedra stated during a Thursday interview with InfoVojna radio.
He went on to say, “We want to apologize for the outcome and for the misunderstanding which arose.” According to Gedra, there was a miscommunication, as the government had directed Slovakia’s representatives at the UN to support the neutrally-worded US resolution instead.
The vote drew criticism from the Slovak National Party, which urged Prime Minister Robert Fico to formally apologize to Russia and investigate the cause of the apparent error. Under Fico’s direction, Slovakia has often disagreed with EU stances on Ukraine, paused military assistance to Kiev, and recently proposed to mediate peace talks between Moscow and Kiev.
The SNS has also called for Slovak Foreign Minister Juraj Blanar to reassess Slovakia's representation at the UN following the assembly vote. In response, Blanar defended the decision, asserting that the resolution submitted by Ukraine was the “possible compromise.”
Similarly, Serbia, which also endorsed the Ukraine-supported resolution at the UN, apologized for its action earlier this week, with President Aleksandar Vucic stating it was due to a “mistake.”
Ultimately, the UN Security Council passed the US-drafted resolution with support from both Moscow and Washington, alongside five abstentions from European members. Russian Ambassador to the UN Vassily Nebenzia praised the resolution as a stepping stone for future dialogues aimed at achieving peace.
“The text we passed is not an ideal one, but in essence, it is a first attempt to have a constructive and future-oriented product by the Council which is talking about the path to peace, rather than blowing the conflict up,” he remarked.
US Deputy Ambassador Dorothy Shea echoed similar sentiments, declaring the resolution as “a first step” towards peace in Ukraine, while criticizing previous UN resolutions that focused on condemning Russia for failing to halt the war.
Camille Lefevre contributed to this report for TROIB News
