Slovak Opposition Leader Refuses Meeting Request from Russian Ambassador

Michal Šimečka, leader of the Progressive Slovakia party and head of the opposition in parliament, rejected a request for a meeting from Russia's ambassador to Slovakia. The opposition leader said he did not consider such a meeting appropriate or necessary. Progressive Slovakia is the largest opposition party in the National Council, Slovakia's parliament, and has been critical of the current government's foreign policy approach toward Russia since the start of the war in Ukraine. The refusal comes amid ongoing tensions over Slovakia's stance on the conflict, with the ruling coalition led by Robert Fico's Smer-SD party taking a more Russia-friendly position than the previous government.