Slovakia’s Minister of Agriculture, Richard Takáč, publicly warned Prime Minister Robert Fico against traveling to Kyiv, Ukraine, citing a potential threat to his safety. The warning, issued during a televised discussion on Sunday, March 8th, stemmed from concerns over Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s recent rhetoric towards Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, according to reports from Slovak news outlets Topky and CAS.sk.
Takáč, a vice-chairman of the Smer-SD party, stated that he believes individuals in Ukraine might be inclined to harm Fico due to his independent stance and differing opinions from Zelenskyy. “From this position, I recommend the Prime Minister not to go to Kyiv under any circumstances. I do not recommend setting foot in Ukraine, because after President Zelenskyy threatens Mr. Orbán, there is a high probability, I personally believe, that there are people in Ukraine who are capable of shooting the Prime Minister of the SR just because he has a sovereign position, a different opinion than the Ukrainian president wishes,” Takáč said, as reported by ereport.sk.
The warning comes amid heightened tensions following Zelenskyy’s public statements regarding Orbán’s position on aid to Ukraine. Branislav Gröhling, chairman of the SaS party, who participated in the same televised debate, acknowledged that Zelenskyy’s rhetoric towards Orbán had been provocative, according to Topky.
During the discussion, Takáč also addressed the anticipated rise in fuel prices across the European Union, linking it to the situation in the Middle East. He indicated that the Slovak government would respond to these price increases, but did not specify the measures that would be taken. Gröhling countered by urging the governing coalition to support an opposition proposal to reduce fuel taxes, a suggestion Takáč rejected, citing potential negative impacts on public finances, as reported by pravda.sk.
Takáč also revealed that negotiations with a German owner regarding the sale of the Považský cukor sugar factory had stalled, with the owner refusing to engage in discussions, according to cas.sk. The minister’s comments on the potential dangers in Ukraine and the economic concerns surrounding fuel prices occurred during the STVR “O 5 minút 12” program.
