Russia Seeks to Break EU Unity on Ukraine, Slovak President Says

Russia is seeking to create divisions in the European Union as the bloc prepares to rule on whether to keep sanctions tied to the conflict in Ukraine in place, Slovak President Andrej Kiska said on Tuesday.

“We can see clear Russian efforts to weaken the unity between EU member states,” Kiska, who has criticized Russia for stoking the conflict between Ukrainian forces and pro-Russian rebels, said at a conference in Bratislava, Slovakia. The EU has to maintain a unified stance, he said.