Slovak Foreign and European Affairs Minister Juraj Blanar has said that European Union leaders should have taken a far more proactive role in pursuing a diplomatic end to the war in Ukraine, warning that the bloc currently has no meaningful place in the peace negotiations. Blanar made the remarks in an interview with TASR TV in Bratislava on 9 September.

Europe Paying the Bill, Not Setting the Terms

'At present, we basically don't have a seat at the table. We are simply paying all the costs associated with it,' Blanar said, capturing what he described as a fundamental imbalance in how the conflict's diplomatic and financial burdens are being shared. He noted that the United States has assumed a significantly larger role in driving the peace process, while Europe has largely confined itself to financial backing.

According to data released by the European External Action Service, the EU and its member states have collectively made available more than $226 billion in financial, military, humanitarian, and refugee assistance to Ukraine since the war began — a figure that underscores just how heavily European taxpayers are invested in the conflict's outcome, even as European governments remain on the diplomatic sidelines.

Visegrad Four: Common Ground, Divergent Paths

Blanar said Slovakia could find shared footing with its partners in the Visegrad Four (V4) — comprising the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, and Slovakia — on the principle of a more active EU role in the peace process, even as the four nations hold differing views on the specifics of achieving a ceasefire. 'Despite having different views, we are still able to discuss these issues together,' he said.

A notable point of divergence concerns a proposed 90 billion euro (approximately $104.5 billion) loan to Ukraine. Blanar confirmed that Slovakia, Hungary, and the Czech Republic would not participate in guarantees for the loan, while Poland has chosen to do so — reflecting the broader fracture lines within Central European policy on the war.

Notably, Slovakia assumed the one-year V4 presidency on 1 July this year. Blanar also disclosed that Bratislava is preparing for a bilateral meeting between the Slovak and Ukrainian governments, expected to be held in Lviv, Ukraine, though no date has yet been confirmed.

Putin-Trump Call: 'Constructive and Very Frank'

Separately, Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump held a telephone conversation on Tuesday that Kremlin aide Yury Ushakov described as 'constructive and very frank.' The call lasted exactly one hour, according to Ushakov.

Ushakov said Putin used the call to push back against what he characterised as unfounded narratives about Russian aggression toward Europe. 'Against the backdrop of speculation alleging that Russia holds hostile intentions toward European states, it was emphasised that we do not harbour any aggressive plans against Europe whatsoever. The circulated myths about a Russian threat serve as a cover for European nations to ramp up support for Ukraine and increase their own military spending,' Ushakov said, according to reports.

Trump, for his part, reportedly stressed the urgency of ending the Ukraine conflict, arguing that a resolution would immediately open 'broad and promising prospects for the full restoration of Russia-US relations,' Ushakov said. The two sides also agreed to continue work on humanitarian matters, including the exchange of detained and convicted individuals.

What This Means for EU Diplomacy

Blanar's remarks arrive at a moment of growing unease within Europe about its diminishing influence over a conflict it is financing at scale. This is not the first time Central European leaders have voiced frustration with the EU's reactive posture — Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has repeatedly called for ceasefire talks, often at odds with Brussels. Slovakia's position, while less confrontational in tone, points to a widening debate about whether European financial commitment should translate into a stronger diplomatic voice. With the Putin-Trump call signalling renewed US-Russia engagement, the pressure on European capitals to define their own peace strategy is likely to intensify in the weeks ahead.