Andrej Danko tells Slovak PM Robert Fico to halt talks with Ukraine's Zelensky over banderovci issue

Slovakia’s nationalist leader Andrej Danko, head of the Slovak National Party and deputy speaker of parliament, urged Prime Minister Robert Fico to refrain from any meetings or negotiations with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Danko said Bratislava should wait until Kyiv clearly addresses the celebration of figures and symbols associated with the “banderovci” movement, which he described as linked to fascism and wartime atrocities. He cited Polish President Karol Nawrocki’s recent condemnation of glorifying individuals tied to massacres as a precedent for a principled stance. Danko claimed that respect for historical truth and victims must outweigh political considerations, and that Slovak‑Ukrainian relations should be built on mutual respect and rejection of totalitarian legacies. The comments were reported by the Slovak news agency TASR and appeared in multiple language versions.