
Tibor Gašpar, former Police Chief, now Vice-chairman of the Slovak National Council, Chair of its Defence and Security Committee, and one of the highest-ranking figures in Slovakia’s defence and security establishment, will travel to Moscow on 12 January with five government MPs from the ruling SMER-SD and SNS parties. Gašpar’s visit, which is officially focused on natural gas discussions, raises significant concerns due to his earlier secret meeting with the Russian ambassador to discuss cybersecurity shortly after bomb threats in Slovakia were classified as cyber incidents. As the father of Slovakia’s intelligence chief, his involvement underscores fears about the extent of Russian influence in Slovakia’s core security institutions. The trip is part of a wider pattern of Slovak officials engaging with Kremlin representatives, including Prime Minister Robert Fico’s December 2024 meeting with Vladimir Putin and regular contact by Foreign Minister Juraj Blanár and other pro-Kremlin figures, such as Andrej Danko and Ľuboš Blaha, with sanctioned Russian leaders. These actions highlight Slovakia’s growing closeness to Moscow, even as NATO and EU nations seek to isolate the Kremlin over its war in Ukraine.
Tibor Gašpar, Vice-chairman of the Slovak National council, Chairman of the National Council’s Defence and Security Committee, and father of Slovakia’s intelligence chief Pavol Gašpar, is travelling to Moscow on Sunday 12 January with five fellow government MPs. As one of the highest-ranking officials in Slovakia’s security and defence establishment, Gašpar’s visit to the Kremlin underscores growing concerns about Slovakia’s increasingly close ties to Russia. Gašpar previously secretly hosted the Russian ambassador at the National Council to allegedly discuss cybersecurity, a meeting that occurred shortly after a wave of bomb threats in Slovakia was classified as cyber incidents. These actions have drawn intense scrutiny, raising questions about the extent of Russian influence within Slovakia’s security structures.

Gašpar’s trip is the latest in a string of high-profile visits by Slovak officials to Moscow. Prime Minister Robert Fico met with Russian President Vladimir Putin on 23 December 2024 under the pretext of securing affordable energy supplies for Slovakia. During the visit, the Kremlin floated the idea of hosting peace talks in Slovakia—a proposal not publicly confirmed by the Slovak government. Fico’s silence on the matter has been interpreted as tacit support for Russia’s narrative, which seeks to portray itself as open to dialogue while continuing its war of aggression in Ukraine.
Andrej Danko, an MP from the pro-Kremlin Slovak National Party, is likewise preparing to revisit Moscow in January 2024. Danko, who once chaired the National Assembly, has long embraced pro-Russian positions. He attended a Russian military parade, praised the Kremlin’s role in the Second World War, and threatened to collapse a previous Slovak government coalition rather than expel Russian diplomats implicated in the Vrbětice affair. His consistent meetings with high-ranking Russian figures, including Sergey Lavrov, illustrate a pro-Kremlin stance that challenges Slovakia’s alignment with EU policies aimed at isolating Russia’s leadership.

Slovak Foreign Minister Juraj Blanár has likewise drawn attention through multiple meetings with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov—more often than with any other foreign counterpart. Official statements cite energy matters, yet the details of these talks remain opaque. Critics argue that such frequent contact, undertaken during a time of broad isolation for Moscow, contradicts Slovakia’s commitments to supporting Western sanctions against Russia.

Ľuboš Blaha, vice-chairman of Slovakia’s SMER party and a Member of the European Parliament, has also pursued close ties with Moscow. He met Dmitry Medvedev during a BRICS summit in Sochi, praising the former Russian president’s leadership and advocating “Slavic mutuality,” even as Russia wages war in Ukraine. Blaha’s engagement with Medvedev highlights a broader network of Slovak politicians who openly promote Kremlin interests, sparking concerns that these relationships advance Russia’s agenda at the expense of Slovakia’s Western commitments.

Repeated contact between senior Slovak politicians and sanctioned Kremlin officials intensifies fears that Russia is expanding its foothold within a NATO and EU member state. This concern is compounded by Foreign Minister Juraj Blanár’s purge of experienced diplomats and the hiring of at least 146 new staff—many reportedly educated in Russian institutions—under the guise of cost-saving measures. Critics argue that such an ideological reshuffle compromises the ministry’s pro-Western orientation. Against this backdrop, Gašpar’s oversight of defence policy, coupled with his familial tie to Slovakia’s intelligence chief, amplifies anxieties over the Kremlin’s ability to penetrate the country’s core security structures.
These trends clash with Slovakia’s stated obligations as part of NATO and the EU. Persistent interactions with Russian leaders risk weakening collective Western resolve against Moscow’s aggression in Ukraine. By maintaining high-profile channels with Kremlin insiders, Slovak authorities expose themselves to potential manipulation, diminishing not only national security but also transatlantic cohesion. Gašpar’s and Danko’s upcoming visits—together with Blaha’s overtures to Medvedev and Blanár’s meetings with Lavrov—further confirm a pro-Russian tilt that leaves many questioning whether Slovakia’s strategic interests and democratic values are being overshadowed by the pursuit of Moscow’s favour.
Author: Victor Breiner | Slovak Media Monitor