Russian President Vladimir Putin on Sunday hosted Slovakia鈥檚 prime minister, Robert Fico, in a rare visit to the Kremlin by an EU leader since Moscow's all-out invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
Fico arrived in Russia on a 鈥渨orking visit鈥� and met with Putin one-on-one on Sunday evening, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told Russia鈥檚 RIA news agency. According to Peskov, the talks were expected to focus on 鈥渢he international situation鈥� and Russian natural gas deliveries.
Russian natural gas still flows to some European countries, including Slovakia, through Ukraine . At a summit in Brussels on Thursday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy told EU leaders that Kyiv has no intention of renewing the deal, something Fico insisted will harm his country's interests.
Fico said on Facebook after meeting with Putin that he informed European Union leaders about his trip on Friday.
He said the talks in Moscow were a reaction to what Zelenskyy told him on Thursday in Brussels, that he is against any gas transit to Slovakia through Ukraine. Fico also said that Zelenskyy is in favor of sanctions against Russia鈥檚 nuclear program, which he said was unacceptable and against the interest of his country that relies on nuclear energy.
Fico said Putin confirmed to him that Russia is still ready to deliver gas to the West. He said the two also discussed the military situation in Ukraine, chances for a peaceful solution to the war and the bilateral relations between their two countries which Fico said they will seek to 鈥渟tandardize.鈥�
His trip was condemned by the major Slovak opposition parties.
Slovakia last month signed a short-term pilot contract to buy natural gas from Azerbaijan, as it prepares for a possible halt to Russian supplies through Ukraine. Earlier this year, it struck a deal to import U.S. liquefied natural gas through a pipeline from Poland.
The country can also receive gas through Austrian, Hungarian and Czech networks, enabling imports from Germany among other potential suppliers.
Visits and phone calls from European leaders to Putin have been rare since Moscow sent troops into Ukraine, although Hungary鈥檚 Prime Minister Viktor Orb谩n visited Russia in July, and Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer met with the Russian leader just weeks into the full-scale war. Both trips drew condemnation from Kyiv and European leaders.
Orb谩n, widely seen as having the warmest relations with , has routinely EU efforts to assist Kyiv and impose sanctions on Moscow for its actions in Ukraine. He has long argued for a cessation of hostilities in Ukraine but without outlining what that might mean for the country鈥檚 territorial integrity or future security.
Fico鈥檚 views on Russia鈥檚 war on Ukraine differ sharply from most other European leaders. The Slovakian PM returned to power last year after his leftist party Smer (Direction) won on a . Since then, he has ended his country鈥檚 military aid for Ukraine, lashed out at EU sanctions on Russia, and vowed to block Ukraine from joining NATO.
Fico has also been a rare senior EU politician to appear on Russian state TV following Moscow鈥檚 invasion of Ukraine. In an interview with the Rossiya-1 channel in October, he contended the West has 鈥減rolonged the war鈥� by supporting Ukraine, adding that sanctions against Russia were ineffective. He declared that he was ready to negotiate with Putin.
Fico also vowed to attend that will mark the 80th anniversary of Nazi Germany鈥檚 defeat in World War II. The Kremlin has used the annual 鈥淰ictory Day鈥� celebrations to tout its battlefield prowess, and at this year鈥檚 event.
The Associated Press
