No one will ever have the right to insult Ukraine, doubt its territorial integrity, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Dmytro Kuleba has said, commenting on the statement of Prime Minister of Slovakia Igor Matovič about the promise of "Zakarpattia region of Ukraine" in exchange for a vaccine from Russia.

"I want to emphasize once again that I personally stand for very friendly and most constructive relations with our Western neighbors. With Slovakia, we have a lot in common, but no one will ever have the right to insult Ukraine with any word or hint, doubt its territorial integrity or try to demonstrate that the fate of Ukraine is defined somewhere else but not in Ukraine. And in this regard, with all friendship with Slovak colleagues, our reaction to such actions will be not just tough, but extremely tough," Kuleba told journalists in Kyiv on Thursday.

He assured that if Slovakia had not immediately apologized for the words of the head of government, Ukraine would have gone to further steps.

"If Slovakia had not immediately apologized for these words, we would have gone to further steps, because such things could not be forgotten. However, for Slovak colleagues, this phrase also became a shock, and therefore the Minister of Foreign Affairs has immediately apologized today on behalf of the state, the Prime Minister of Slovakia has also apologized today, he did it publicly," the Minister of Foreign Affairs said.

As reported, in response to the question of the journalist about what promised Slovakia for the supply of Russian vaccine, Matovič said "Zakarpattia region of Ukraine". Later, the Prime Minister assured that he did not give promises to the Russian Federation, and made it clear that he was joking. Minister of Foreign Affairs of Slovakia Ivan Korcok apologized to Ukraine for the statements of the Slovak Prime Minister.