The initial response to the Russian-Ukrainian war in the political narrative of the European Union: The case study of the Slovak Republic

The present study aims to determine the peculiarities of the first (February–April 2022) response of the leaders of the leading Slovak parties to the start of the large-scale Russian-Ukrainian war. The research methodology involves a comparative analysis of the key Slovak parties’ evolution (historical-comparative method), party statutes and programs, posts on social networks and official speeches of politicians (content analysis), and determination of the characteristic features of Slovak parties’ ideologies based on their pro-European or pro-Russian orientations (comparative political studies). The study is topical as it considers the onset of the Russian-Ukrainian war from the perspective of European (Slovak) politicians. It also analyses correlations between Euro-optimism and Russophilia/Euroscepticism in the wake of a large-scale Russian military aggression in Ukraine. The research findings ascertain that at the beginning of the Russian-Ukrainian war in February–April 2022, the influential political parties of the Slovak Republic separated into three groups, based on the following criteria: “supporting Ukraine – condemning Russia” (HLAS-SD, SaS, OĽaNO, “WE ARE FAMILY”, Progressive Slovakia, KDH, “Za Ľudí”), “neutrality – European Union criticism” (SMER-SD); “Russophilia – the war between the United States and Russia” (REPUBLIC, ĽSNS, SNS). The study found that there is a correlation between the party radicalization and the pro-Russian position, i.e. right-wing radical parties (Eurosceptics) support Russia; liberal or populist parties (mostly Euro-optimists or moderate Eurosceptics) are unanimous the European Union and support Ukraine. In their backing of Ukraine, Slovak political parties differ in providing humanitarian and military aid or speculating on the domestic economy deterioration due to the Ukrainian war.