Slovak PM Fico holds talks with Putin during surprise Russia trip

Fico discussed the Ukraine war and the transport of Russian gas to Slovakia via Ukraine, according to statements.

Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico has held one-on-one talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin during a surprise visit to Moscow, according to the Kremlin.

Fico discussed “a peaceful end to the war” in Ukraine, according to a Facebook post by the Slovak leader, who has been critical of the European Union’s support to Kyiv. He believes there is no military solution to the conflict that has drawn Western leaders, who see Russia as a security threat.

Fico said on Facebook after the meeting that top EU officials were informed of his trip, the third by an EU leader since Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022.

Previous visits by Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer in April 2022 and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban last July faced criticism from EU allies.

The Slovak leader said the trip came in response to talks last week with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who, according to the Slovak leader, had expressed opposition to any gas transit through Ukraine to Slovakia.

At a summit in Brussels on Thursday, Zelenskyy told EU leaders that Kyiv has no intention of renewing the deal, something Fico insisted will harm his country’s interests.

“Russian President V Putin confirmed the readiness of the (Russian Federation) to continue to supply gas to the West and Slovakia, which is practically impossible after January 1, 2025 in view of the stance of the Ukrainian president,” Fico said.

Russian natural gas still flows to some European countries, including Slovakia, through Ukraine under a five-year agreement signed before the war that is due to expire at the end of this year.

Last month, Slovakia 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 United States 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.

The Slovak prime minister added that he and Putin exchanged opinions on the military situation in Ukraine, chances of a peaceful end to the war and on Slovak-Russian relations that he said he intends “to standardise”.

Fico stopped military aid to Ukraine after coming to power in 2023, as he shifted Slovakia’s foreign policy. He has also critcised Western sanctions against Moscow.

Slovak opposition politicians have called his visit to Moscow a “disgrace”.