MOSCOW. October 25. / TASS/ The majority of Slovaks would like to maintain friendly relations with Russia, Igor Bratchikov, Moscow’s ambassador to Bratislava, said on a Rossiya-24 television broadcast.

"The greater part of Slovak society [is in favor of friendly relations with Russia], it is indeed the case and we, in working there [day to day], can feel it, this sentiment in favor of maintaining friendly relations with our country," the diplomat said.

According to Bratchikov, it is precisely this desire across Slovak society that has brought a new political force to power, which must now shift the country’s course away from the current cooling in relations with Moscow and make Bratislava’s foreign policy "truly Slovak" in nature. "It is hoped that the new cabinet will respond to the demand within society [for better relations with Russia] and will act in the way that was indicated by the politicians during the [parliamentary] election campaign," the ambassador said.

Earlier, Robert Fico, leader of the Direction-Social Democracy (Smer) party, which won Slovakia’s recent early elections, announced that Bratislava would not continue providing military aid to Ukraine if his party was part of the country’s newly formed government. The veteran politician and former Slovak prime minister also stated that Western weapons supplies to Kiev "will not change the course of the war" and urged the EU and US to use their influence to put pressure on Ukraine and Russia with the aim of negotiating a compromise peace agreement. Fico also said that Slovakia had incurred damages from anti-Russian sanctions.