Slovakia’s Robert Fico meets Vladimir Putin in surprise Moscow visit
Slovakia’s Robert Fico meets Vladimir Putin in surprise Moscow visit
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Slovakia’s Prime Minister Robert Fico recently visited Moscow for talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin, making him one of the few Western leaders to meet with Putin since the conflict in Ukraine began. Fico discussed the supply of Russian gas to Slovakia, a topic of importance due to an upcoming expiration of a transit deal with Gazprom. Fico’s visit was in response to Ukrainian President Zelensky’s opposition to Russian gas passing through Ukraine. Despite concerns about interruptions in gas supply, Fico emphasized the importance of being a good neighbor to Ukraine. The meeting between Fico and Putin also included discussions on the military situation in Ukraine and the possibility of a peaceful resolution to the conflict. The visit coincided with a security summit attended by leaders from Italy, Sweden, Greece, and Finland, where Finland’s Prime Minister emphasized Russia as a “permanent and dangerous threat” to the EU.
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Slovakia’s Prime Minister Robert Fico has made a surprise visit to Moscow for talks with Vladimir Putin – becoming only the third Western leader to meet the Russian leader since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine three years ago.
Fico – a vocal critic of the European Union’s support for Kyiv in the war – said they discussed supplies of Russian gas to Slovakia – which his country relies on.
A deal with Russian gas giant Gazprom to transit energy through Ukraine to Slovakia is due to expire at the end of this year.
“Top EU officials were informed about my journey and its purpose… on Friday,” Fico wrote on Facebook.
Fico said the meeting in Moscow was a reaction to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky telling EU leaders that Ukraine remains opposed to Russian gas being piped through its territory.
The Slovakian PM, who survived being shot earlier this year, also said he had a “long conversation” with Putin and the two “exchanged views on the military situation in Ukraine”.
Both discussed “the possibilities of an early, peaceful end of the war” and mutual relations between Russia and Slovakia, Fico wrote on Facebook.
Slovakia and Hungary, which both depend on Russian gas, have raised concerns about the prospect of supplies being interrupted.
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