Slovakia’s prime minister has accepted the resignation of his national security adviser after newly released US documents revealed past message exchanges with the

late financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

Prime Minister Robert Fico confirmed on Saturday that Miroslav Lajčák was stepping down, describing him in a video statement as “an incredible source of experience in diplomacy and foreign policy.” Fico said the resignation was aimed at limiting political fallout rather than acknowledging any wrongdoing.

The move comes a day after the US Department of Justice released roughly three million files linked to Epstein, who died in jail in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges. Although the documents do not accuse those named of criminal activity, they have reignited scrutiny of Epstein’s extensive network of contacts among politicians, business leaders and diplomats.

Lajčák, a former Slovak foreign minister, appears in a series of text messages from October 2018, when he was serving in that role. In the exchange, he and Epstein discuss women in a joking manner alongside references to diplomatic meetings, including a planned encounter with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.

The messages, which Slovak media published after the US release, show Epstein sharing an image and joking about women, with Lajčák responding in kind. In another exchange, Epstein urges Lajčák to ask Lavrov for a novelty T-shirt featuring Lavrov and the late Russian ambassador to the United Nations, Vitaly Churkin. The conversation mixes flippant banter with references to diplomacy.

Separately, an email from November 2017 shows Lajčák asking Epstein to assist a female film producer in getting her movie considered for an Academy Award shortlist.

When the files first became public on Friday, Lajčák denied having discussed women with Epstein, according to Slovak media. He later said he had decided to resign to avoid causing political damage to Fico and the government.

Prime Minister Fico dismissed the backlash as politically motivated, calling it “an attack against me” and accusing critics of hypocrisy.

Lajčák is a veteran diplomat who has served in four Slovak governments, three of them led by Fico. Beyond domestic politics, he has held prominent international roles, most recently as the European Union’s special representative for the Western Balkans.

The document release has shed new light on Epstein’s connections with a range of high-profile figures worldwide. Names appearing in the files include technology entrepreneur Elon Musk, former UK minister Lord Peter Mandelson, Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates and Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, the former Duke of York, who lost his royal titles over his association with Epstein.

While the revelations have not led to new criminal allegations, they continue to provoke political and public fallout for those whose names appear in Epstein’s long-hidden correspondence. Photo by © European Union, 2026, Wikimedia commons.