BRATISLAVA (Sputnik) - Slovak parliament speaker Peter Pellegrini, who opposes arms supplies to Ukraine, is projected to win the second round of Slovakia's presidential election with 54.32% of the vote.
Pellegrini's opponent former Slovak Foreign Minister Ivan Korcok, who vocally supports Ukraine, received 45.67% of the vote. Korcok congratulated Pellegrini on his victory as the Slovak Statistical Office announced 96.05% of ballots had been processed early Sunday morning.
"I will do everything – whether anyone likes it or not – to ensure that Slovakia remains on the path of peace and not on the path of war," said Pellegrini, who had promised to "unite a divided Slovakia."
The candidate claimed NATO and the European Union were "divided between those who are in favor of the continuation of the war [in the Donbass] at all costs, and those who demand the start of peace negotiations."
"I belong to the latter," Pellegrini claimed.
Pellegrini was himself previously Prime Minister of Slovakia from 2018 until 2020 and has served as a minister of education and state secretary for finance. He is a close ally of Prime Minister Robert Fico, a prominent anti-war voice in Europe.
Pellegrini and Fico's left-wing opposition to the Russo-Ukraine war has proven to be a winning formula in Slovakia as Europe is rocked by protests over economic concerns. Much of the European opposition to the conflict has come from the right, with a few notable exceptions.
The lawmaker previously worked as an economist and an adviser to a politician from Slovakia's social democratic party.
Early data had indicated a close race with polling suggesting a narrow victory for the pro-EU Korcok, but Pellegrini maintained a consistent lead as votes were tallied Saturday evening.