Peter Pellegrini is the President of the Slovak Republic.[1][2]
On 28 October 2026 he announced that the Slovak armed forces are, from that day, able to defend the country's airspace with their own forces. He congratulated the armed forces and, in his words, called it an important step towards strengthening the sovereignty, defence capability and security of all Slovak citizens. He made the statement on the day when Slovakia and Czechia commemorate the proclamation of Czechoslovakia in 1918.[2]
After the start of the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Slovakia withdrew its MiG-29 fighters from service and handed them to Ukraine; allies, including Czechia, then helped guard its airspace. In 2018 Slovakia ordered fourteen F-16 Block 70 fighters, of which ten have been delivered and the remaining four stay in the USA, where Slovak personnel are being trained.[1][2] The Slovak Ministry of Defence expects these four aircraft to be moved to Slovakia by the end of 2028 after the training ends; in September 2026 the Slovak government approved the purchase of four more F-16 fighters. [2]
On 29 September 2026 the Slovak parliament passed a vote of no confidence in Environment Minister Tomáš Taraba, and Pellegrini dismissed him the following day. For the vacated post the Slovak National Party nominated Filip Kuffa; Pellegrini announced that he would not appoint Kuffa until the Constitutional Court decides, and asked the court for an interpretation of the constitution on whether the president may, for serious reasons concerning a candidate for a government member, reject his nomination. Until then the ministry is run temporarily by Prime Minister Fico. [3]
On 27 October 2026 Pellegrini announced that on 28 October he would file with the Constitutional Court a proposal for an interpretation of the constitution on whether the president may, for serious reasons, reject a candidate for government member proposed by the prime minister. [3]
Chronology
- — Slovakia announced that its armed forces have been able to protect its airspace with their own forces since 28 October 2026; until now allies, including Czechia, had helped it. → ČT24 Deník.cz
Sources
- ČT24 — 28 October 2026
- Deník.cz — 28 October 2026
- Novinky.cz — 27 October 2026