WASHINGTON Feb 4The US and Slovakia have entered into a military cooperation agreement that gives the Americans the right to use two airfields and cements their pledge to invest $100 million to modernize the defense infrastructure of the Eastern European state. The document, signed against the backdrop of a security crisis in Eastern Europe, is perceived ambiguously in Slovakia, where rallies are taking place protest, and opposition parties are calling for a referendum. From the Slovak side, the agreement was signed by Foreign Minister Ivan Korchok and Defense Minister Yaroslav Nagy, who flew to Washington for this. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken signed on behalf of the United States. To enter into force, the ratification of the document by the Slovak parliament and approval by the country's president is required. «This agreement makes it easier for our military to coordinate defensive efforts, such as joint exercises. It will allow for more regular consultations between our countries on threats to our peoples, international peace and security» , Blinken said at a State Department ceremony. «Slovakia is committed to modernizing its defense capabilities and infrastructure. The agreements allow the United States to support these efforts,» he added. jpg» />In Poland, they supported the idea of a permanent presence of US military The agreement, the draft of which was approved by the government of Slovakia two weeks ago, will allow the US to use the military airfields Malacky-Kuhinya in the east of the country and Sliach in its central part free of charge. It also provides for the allocation by the American side of $100 million to modernize the defense infrastructure of Slovakia. The document will be valid for ten years with the possibility of a subsequent extension or cancellation. The signing coincided with the start of the transfer of the US military to Poland, Romania and Germany to strengthen the eastern flank of NATO in the face of heightened tensions around Ukraine. Kiev and Western states have recently expressed concern about with the alleged intensification of «aggressive actions» by Russia near the borders of Ukraine. Moscow has repeatedly denied such accusations, saying that it does not threaten anyone and is not going to attack anyone, and statements about «Russian aggression» are used as an excuse to deploy more NATO military equipment near Russian borders. The Russian Foreign Ministry previously noted that statements The West about «Russian aggression» and the possibility of helping Kiev defend itself against it is both ridiculous and dangerous. Press Secretary of the President of the Russian Federation Dmitry Peskov said that Russia is moving troops within its territory and at its own discretion. According to him, this does not threaten anyone and should not bother anyone.
