Slovaks view conflict in Ukraine as largest security threat: survey

Slovaks view security threats stemming from the latest global developments as serious, with the conflict in Ukraine being perceived as the largest security threat for Slovakia and central europe, according to a survey conducted by the Focus agency on behalf of a company called Empirica, local news agency reported on Friday.

"On a five-point scale (with 5 being the highest score), the conflict in Ukraine ranked 4.1. This is undoubtedly due to the fact that Slovakia shares a border with Ukraine," stressed Empirica director Martin Prevratil.

Women and young people below 24 harbor most concerns about the Ukrainian conflict.

"With both these groups, it could be the perception of direct potential danger to them or their loved ones, should the conflict escalate and lead to mobilization," added Prevratil.

Another significant threat perceived by Slovaks is international terrorism and the activities of Islamic State (IS).

According to Prevratil, the two categories overlay each other, as a number of recent terrorist attacks covered by media were committed by IS fighters.

"It is mostly older people, women and people with basic education who are worried about these security threats," said Prevratil.

The survey was conducted from Feb. 26 to March 3 on a sample of 1,008 respondents. Endit