Slovakia found itself diplomatically isolated, becoming the only European Union country to refuse to sign a key international communiqué—the “Toronto Pledge.” The document, adopted following an international conference in Canada, aims to return thousands of Ukrainian children—who were forcibly deported to Russia—to their homes.
The Slovak government’s decision has drawn a barrage of harsh criticism from the opposition, while the Slovak Ministry of Foreign Affairs is attempting to justify this position on “formal grounds.”
What the “Toronto Pledge” is about
On September 29, 2026, an international conference titled “The Path to Peace,” organized by Canada, Ukraine, and Norway, took place in Toronto. Following the event, 54 states and international organizations (including 26 EU countries and the European Union as an institution) signed a final document.
The main goals of the initiative are:
Strengthening the search for and verification of data on abducted children;
Establishing safe corridors and mechanisms for their return;
Supporting the comprehensive rehabilitation and integration of children into their home environments;
Preparing for the large-scale return of minors as soon as conditions permit.
According to international organizations, Russia has illegally deported more than 20,000 Ukrainian children, subjecting them to forced Russification. It is precisely because of these crimes against humanity that the International Criminal Court in The Hague has issued an arrest warrant for Russian dictator Vladimir Putin.
Opposition: “This is an unprecedented disgrace and collaboration with the Kremlin”
The Slovak opposition party “Freedom and Solidarity” (SaS) issued a sharp statement, calling Slovakia’s failure to sign an international disgrace and a “crossing of red lines.”
“This document is not about weapons, sanctions, or military aid. It is about children whom the Russian state took from their homes, changed their names, and placed with Russian families so they would forget who they are. How is it that a document signed by the entire democratic world lacks the signature of just one EU country—Slovakia?” said SaS international expert Ivan Novotný.
Slovak Parliament member Vladimirova Marcinkova emphasized that Slovakia has been left completely isolated, even among its neighbors: the Czech Republic, Poland, and even Hungary have signed the document.
The opposition has already submitted a draft resolution to parliament calling on the government to immediately join international initiatives to protect children, and has also sent an official parliamentary interpellation (inquiry) to Foreign Minister Juraj Blanár.
Explanation from the Slovak Ministry of Foreign Affairs: “We were in observer status”
In response to the allegations, the Slovak Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that the country is not an official member of the International Coalition for the Return of Ukrainian Children, and therefore the Slovak ambassador attended the conference in Toronto only as an observer. The ministry did not specify why Bratislava continues to avoid full membership in this coalition.
At the same time, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs emphasized that Slovakia is helping Ukrainian children in other ways:
Funding for shelters: 300,000 euros have been allocated for the reconstruction of six shelters in schools and kindergartens in the Chernihiv and Sumy regions;
Energy supply: support through the SlovakAid program for the restoration of a shelter and energy independence at a school in Sumy;
Recreational programs: organizing nine recreational trips for 195 children of Ukrainian rescue workers and police officers.
Despite these arguments, experts note that the refusal to support fundamental international documents significantly deepens Slovakia’s political isolation within the European Union.
