According to media polls and previous announcements, the Slovak prime minister's visit to Moscow was scheduled to take place on Monday. It turned out that Fico had landed in the Russian capital the day before.
Russia. Robert Fico is in Moscow. Slovak Prime Minister meets with President Vladimir Putin
At the outset, VGTRK journalist Pavel Zarubin announced that Fico was already in Moscow and published a recording of the meeting between the two leaders on social media. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov also confirmed these reports in an interview with TASS news agency.
The head of the Slovak government posted a video on social media greeting the Russian regime leader.
The website Atuality.sk reminded that this is the first meeting between Fico and President Putin since 2016.
Slovakia's prime minister is the third leader of a European Union country to decide to fly to Moscow after Russia's invasion of Ukraine began. Prior to this, President Putin also visited Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehamer and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán.
Reaction of the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Fico's visit to President Putin was commented on by Andrzej Szejna, Deputy Director-General of the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in the “Guest of Events” program. “Hungarian and Slovak policies towards Russia have been clear for a long time,” he said.
As for Poland's southern neighbor, he added, it is the result of “total dependence on raw materials: gas and oil.” “This means that this gas will not flow through Ukraine,” he said, adding that Kiev had done the right thing.
See also: Survey: Sudden turnaround among Poles. Ukraine should make concessions to Russia
Shayna said the “current strategy” was discussed in the Kremlin on Sunday. – Slovakia must somehow look for other solutions. However, as Deputy Foreign Minister, I also do not want to be a critic of other EU member states. (…) However, he pointed out that countries clinging to Putin's doorknob would have such problems.
Negotiations regarding gas supply
Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić first said on Saturday that the prime ministers of EU countries would fly to meet the Russian president.
He also said that “Fico intends to negotiate gas supplies with President Putin, as Ukraine refuses to extend the agreement on gas transport within its territory.”
After the Kiev decision, the Slovak Prime Minister said that President Volodymyr Zelenskiy could provoke a serious conflict over the decision.
Fico is planning another trip to Moscow
Dennik N's website said it was unclear whether representatives of the groups that make up the Slovak government coalition had been informed about Fico's visit to Moscow. In addition to the Prime Minister's Direction Party (Smer), the cabinet also includes politicians from the Głosz Party (Fras) and the Slovak People's Party SNS.
In November, Fico announced that he would travel to Moscow in May 2025 to celebrate the anniversary of the end of World War II, at the invitation of President Putin. Slovakia's opposition parties criticized the prime minister's plan.
Fico also said he was ready to hold talks with President Putin and hoped to restore normal relations with Russia after the end of the war in Ukraine. The prime minister criticized anti-Russian EU sanctions and Western countries' military aid to Ukraine.
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