BREAKING: Slovakia's National Security Advisor Resigns After Appearing in the Epstein Files

Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico has accepted the resignation of his national security adviser, Miroslav Lajčák, following revelations that Lajčák exchanged messages with Jeffrey Epstein.

Slovakia’s prime minister, Robert Fico, has accepted the resignation of his top foreign policy and security adviser Miroslav Lajčák amid a growing political firestorm sparked by newly released documents tied to Jeffrey Epstein.

The so-called “Epstein files,” a vast cache of records released by the U.S. Department of Justice, include email exchanges between Lajčák and Epstein. These communications, some dating from 2017 to 2019 when Lajčák was serving as foreign minister and president of the United Nations General Assembly, appeared strikingly familiar in tone and reportedly touched on political networking and social contacts.

Lajčák, who insisted the exchanges were purely social and part of routine diplomatic engagement, stepped down on 31 January after mounting pressure from opposition parties and calls for accountability in Bratislava.

Fico described Lajčák as a “great diplomat” and framed his departure as a loss of valuable experience for Slovakia’s foreign policy establishment.

The revelations triggered a fierce debate within Slovakia’s political sphere. Opposition figures argued that a senior government adviser maintaining friendly correspondence with a convicted sex offender severely undermined public trust and embarrassed the country on the international stage. Some critics pointed to references to young women in the emails, suggesting a level of familiarity they considered inappropriate for someone holding such a sensitive role.

While Lajčák maintained there was nothing improper about the exchanges, detractors said the disclosures raised questions about judgment and ethical standards at the highest levels of government.

Fico’s handling of the affair was controversial even before the resignation. He initially rejected calls from both opposition parties and members of his own governing coalition to dismiss Lajčák, arguing that the documents contained no evidence of wrongdoing and emphasising his adviser’s long diplomatic career. That stance reportedly caused friction within the coalition, with some partners uneasy about continuing to defend Lajčák as the political fallout intensified.

Beyond the Epstein-related controversy, Fico himself has come under sustained criticism for his broader foreign policy direction. He has been accused by opponents and international observers of adopting a pro-Putin posture, particularly in relation to Russia’s brutal ongoing war against Ukraine.

Since returning to power, Fico has scaled back Slovakia’s military support for Kyiv, questioned sanctions on Moscow, and vowed to block Ukraine’s NATO ambitions. Critics argue that these positions align with Kremlin interests and amount to political support for a war that has led to the killing of thousands of innocent Ukrainian civilians.

Protesters in Slovakia have accused Fico of undermining European solidarity and turning a blind eye to the human cost of Russia’s aggression.