Slovakia sets conditions not to send S-300 missiles to Ukraine

Slovakia newspaper Spectator.sme.sk quoted Defense Minister Jaroslav Naď as saying that the country would not consider sending the S-300 air defense system to Ukraine if Russia “complied with international law” and withdrew. troops from Ukraine.

The statement was made by Mr. Jaroslav Naď before a meeting of the Slovakian Cabinet on March 23, shortly after Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov once again warned countries that own S-300 systems not to transfer them to Ukraine.

Mr. Naď had previously said that Slovakia would seek to replace the S-300 system with another system that is fully compatible with its NATO allies and provides Slovakia with high defensive capabilities.

In Europe, in addition to Slovakia, Greece and Bulgaria also own the S-300 system. According to him
Naď, this system can only be serviced in Russia or Ukraine.

Earlier, according to the news website Euractiv.sk (Slovakia), Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said that Slovakia’s sending of S-300 air defense systems to Ukraine would violate the 1990 agreement between Czechoslovakia and the Soviet Union.

“I would like to remind all countries that own systems made by the Soviet Union and Russia that this is subject to intergovernmental agreements and also to user certification, thus prohibiting the sale or transport them to third countries,” Lavrov told RT channel.

According to Lavrov, Russia will not “allow” Slovakia to supply the S-300 system to Ukraine, noting that any arms supply to Ukraine would be considered a “legitimate military goal”.

However, the Slovak Ministry of Defense is not concerned about the possibility of violating the old agreement. Euractiv.sk argues that the agreement cited by Foreign Minister Lavrov does not in fact prohibit Slovakia from giving or selling the S-300 system to another country. Slovakia obtained the S-300 system which was split by Czechoslovakia in 1993. Czechoslovakia received the system from the Soviet Union in 1990.

“It will be free to consider how to use its military assets, in the way that best suits Slovakia’s national defense interests,” the Slovak Defense Ministry stressed. -300 for Ukraine or not According to the latest information, negotiations on this topic, especially with the US, are still ongoing.