A Slovak student receiving an award for placing at a mathematics competition refused to shake hands with Slovak President Peter Pellegrini.

Source:the incident was captured on video and has been widely shared on social media, as reported by European Pravda

Details: The student, Simon Omaník, was awarded a bronze medal at the Central European Mathematics Olympiad by Education Minister Tomáš Drucker.

When the minister suggested that Omaník shake hands with President Pellegrini, who was standing nearby, the student declined – even though the president had already extended his hand. After the awkward moment, Omaník, Drucker and Pellegrini posed together for a group photo.

Toto ste zachytili? Ten chalan je u mňa akoze macher pic.twitter.com/g65ZZLn8eL

— Jakub Bajzath  (@BajzathJakub) January 13, 2025

No detailed explanation has been provided by Slovak media regarding Omaník’s refusal. However, a prominent ribbon in the colours of the Ukrainian flag can be seen on the student’s jacket.

Background:Last week, President Pellegrini stated he would not visit Kyiv on an official trip, citing Ukraine's decision to halt the transit of Russian gas. In December, Pellegrini suggested that Ukraine might need to make territorial concessions to achieve peace.

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