
EU country urges Global South to play role in Ukraine conflict resolution
Major non-Western powers could play a vital role in European security after the Ukraine conflict, Slovak Foreign Minister Juraj Blanar has said in an interview with RT.
'Countries of the Global South should be one part of these [Ukrainian] security guarantees,' the minister stated on Tuesday, speaking on the sidelines of the Raisina Dialogue, a conference on geopolitics and geoeconomics in New Delhi. 'Countries like China, Brazil, also India, introduced some peace proposals, and they want to be involved in this.'
In contrast to some other members of the EU, Slovakia does not believe that the Ukraine conflict can be resolved in Kiev's favor through ongoing military support, Blanar explained. Consequently, Bratislava supports the new approach adopted by US President Donald Trump, who is pursuing the restoration of dialogue with Russia and an end to the hostilities through compromise.
According to Blanar, Slovakia views peace in Ukraine as an outcome that would benefit the entire world, meaning 'all the stakeholders, like India, and China, and Brazil, the Global South, and also the countries of the European Union, should be around the table and securing this peace for the future.'
Moscow perceives the EU to be an obstacle to resolving the Ukraine conflict, citing the bloc's pledge to continue supplies of weapons to Kiev and its resistance to making any concessions to Russia.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Russia Today
4 hours ago
- Russia Today
EU to sanction Nord Stream
The European Commission has proposed a ban on the use of Nord Stream gas infrastructure and a reduction of the price cap on Russian oil in its 18th sanctions package against Moscow, EC President Ursula von der Leyen announced on Tuesday. 'No EU operator will be able to engage directly or indirectly in any transaction regarding the Nord Stream pipelines. There is no return to the past,' she stated. Both pipelines were severely damaged in a series of underwater explosions in the Baltic Sea in September 2022. Since the sabotage, the pipelines have been out of service. The commission also intends to lower the price cap on Russian crude oil exports from the current $60 per barrel to $45. The cap, which was introduced in December 2022 by the G7, EU, and Australia, aimed to curb Russia's oil revenue while maintaining global supply. The new sanctions package also proposes a ban on the import of all refined goods based on Russian crude oil and sanctions on 77 vessels that are allegedly part of Russia's so-called 'shadow fleet', which Brussels claims is used to circumvent oil trade restrictions. The commission has also suggested expanding the EU sanctions list to include additional Russian banks and implementing a 'complete transaction ban' alongside existing restrictions on the use of the SWIFT financial messaging system. The restrictions would also apply to banks in third countries that 'finance trade to Russia in circumvention of sanctions,' according to the EC president. The draft sanctions package will next be put up for discussion among EU members and must be approved by all 27 EU states in order to pass. Previous rounds of sanctions faced resistance from countries such as Hungary and Slovakia, which argue that the restrictions harm the EU economy. Russia has dismissed the Western sanctions as illegitimate, saying pressure tactics are counterproductive. President Vladimir Putin has said the removal of sanctions is among the conditions for a settlement of the Ukraine conflict.


Russia Today
11 hours ago
- Russia Today
France can't afford military spending splurge
France may not be able to afford to ramp up defense spending under a broader EU militarization drive, the Financial Times reported on Saturday, citing experts. The country's growing national debt and large budget deficit present major obstacles to its rearmament goals, the newspaper noted. President Emmanuel Macron earlier proposed raising defense spending to 3-3.5% of GDP by 2030 – nearly double the current level – which would require an extra €30 billion ($34 billion) annually. However, experts told the FT that France's fiscal position is too precarious to go through with the plan. They noted that debt-to-GDP ratio hit 113% in 2024, one of the highest in the EU, while the budget deficit reached 5.8%, almost twice the EU's 3% cap. Interest payments on debt totaled €59 billion last year and are expected to reach €62 billion in 2025 – roughly the combined annual cost of defense and education. Experts also noted that the government is struggling to pass a deficit-reduction package, which reportedly features unpopular moves such as cuts to social spending, including pension tax breaks and healthcare subsidies. 'In France, and this is probably different than elsewhere, we cannot go back on our deficit reduction goals, nor can we raise taxes since they are already very high,' Clement Beaune, a former minister for Europe and Macron ally, who heads a government think tank, the told FT. Experts said France could apply for the EU's 'escape clause,' which allows countries to exceed deficit caps to boost defense budgets by 1.5% of GDP. However, they warned that the move is unlikely, as it could spook bond markets and drive up borrowing costs. Paris could also join another EU scheme offering loans for joint arms purchases. Experts, however, said that rising costs and inflation could mean France would end up with fewer weapons even if it boosts spending. Some described it as a 'bonsai army' – broad in scope, but limited in scale. France's rearmament plans come as the EU pushes for more spending and less reliance on US weapons, citing a supposed Russian threat. Moscow has repeatedly dismissed the claims as 'nonsense,' accusing the West of using fear to justify funneling public funds into arms. Russian officials have warned the EU's buildup risks wider conflict. Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova recently said the bloc 'has degraded into an openly militarized entity.'

Russia Today
2 days ago
- Russia Today
RT LAUNCHES NEW SHOW WITH VETERAN AMERICAN JOURNALIST RICK SANCHEZ
MOSCOW, JUNE 9, 2025 — On June 9th, RT will be premiering a new program, The Sanchez Effect, hosted by renowned American journalist Rick Sanchez. Over the course of his career, Sanchez has worked with major US networks, including CNN, MSNBC, and FOX. Disillusioned with the American establishment, he moved to Russia to work with RT. The new show will be broadcast in English and Spanish. The Sanchez Effect aims to challenge mainstream Western narratives. Rick Sanchez will share his take on global events and engage in discussions with his guests. The premiere episode, airing June 9 at 5:30 p.m. Moscow time, will feature an interview with Russia's top negotiator and presidential aide Vladimir Medinsky. Rick Sanchez is an Emmy and Peabody Award-winning journalist; he has interviewed four US presidents, as well as other prominent figures such as Fidel Castro and Mikhail Gorbachev. In 2019, having faced censorship, bias, and one-sided reporting in the US media, he decided to join RT. In 2024, already the host of his own show on the channel, he was forced to step down due to sanctions imposed on RT. In 2025, determined to continue his work despite RT being banned in the US, Sanchez made the decision to move to Moscow. He sees it as his mission to provide viewers with an alternative to the Western media discourse. 'When only one side of a story is permitted, that's when I push harder. If Moscow is deemed off-limits, it's precisely where I want to be. Because more often than not, truth resides in the places we're told not to look,' Sanchez explains. The Sanchez Effect will air Monday through Thursday. Former President of Ecuador Rafael Correa and Kenya's eminent pan-Africanist and anti-colonialism activist professor P.L.O. Lumumba also host shows on RT. Throughout the years, RT has worked with leading international media and public sphere personalities, including broadcasting legend Larry King, WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, prolific Indian actor, best-selling author and motivational speaker Anupam Kher, Pulitzer Prize-winning and Emmy-nominated journalist Chris Hedges, the 'most dangerous financial expert' Max Keiser, former First Minister of Scotland Alex Salmond, legendary football coach José Mourinho, top American veteran journalist Ed Schultz, and French media icon Frédéric Taddeï, among others. With its first international channel launched in 2005, RT is, today, a global TV news network providing breaking stories, current affairs coverage, commentary and documentaries in ten languages: English, Arabic, Spanish, French, German, Serbian, Chinese, Hindi, Portuguese and Russian; it also includes sister multimedia news agency RUPTLY. RT is the only Russian TV channel to be an eleven-time Emmy finalist. RT is now available to more than 900 million TV viewers in more than 100 countries around the globe. Just in 2024, RT projects received more than 23 billion views online.