EPASlovakia’s Prime Minister Robert Fico has made a shock go to to Moscow for talks with Vladimir Putin – changing into solely the third Western chief to satisfy the Russian chief because the full-scale invasion of Ukraine three years in the past.
Fico – a vocal critic of the European Union’s help for Kyiv within the conflict – stated they mentioned provides of Russian gasoline to Slovakia – which his nation depends on.
A cope with Russian gasoline big Gazprom to transit vitality by means of Ukraine to Slovakia is because of expire on the finish of this yr.
“High EU officers have been knowledgeable about my journey and its goal… on Friday,” Fico wrote on Fb.
Nevertheless, the go to has gone down badly with opposition events at residence and with Slovakia’s neighbouring EU and Nato ally, the Czech Republic.
Czech International Minister Jan Lipavsky stated his authorities had secured vitality independence from Russia, and he was pondering of Ukrainians who couldn’t spend Christmas with their family members due to Putin.
In Bratislava, Michal Simecka of Progressive Slovakia stated Fico had made his nation a software for the Russian chief’s propaganda and his journey was a “shame for Slovakia and a betrayal of nationwide pursuits”.
The Slovak Prime Minister stated the assembly in Moscow was a response to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky telling EU leaders that Ukraine remained against Russian gasoline being piped by means of its territory.
Fico, who survived being shot earlier this yr, additionally stated he had a “lengthy dialog” with Putin and the 2 “exchanged views on the army scenario in Ukraine”.
Each mentioned “the probabilities of an early, peaceable finish of the conflict” and mutual relations between Russia and Slovakia, Fico wrote on Fb.
Slovakia and Hungary, which each depend upon Russian gasoline, have raised issues concerning the prospect of provides being interrupted.
In October 2023, when Fico turned prime minister once more, he ended Slovakia’s army help to Ukraine.
However, he has insisted he needs to be a “good, pleasant neighbour” to Kyiv.
Fico’s assembly with Putin got here because the leaders of Italy, Sweden, Greece and Finland met on Sunday for a safety summit.
Talking afterwards, Finland’s Prime Minister Petteri Orpo stated Russia was a “everlasting and harmful menace” to the EU.
He additionally confused the necessity for elevated defence spending and help for Ukraine.
