Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico made a surprise visit to Moscow for talks with Vladimir Putin, becoming the third Western leader to meet the Russian leader since the all-out invasion of Ukraine three years ago.
Fico, a vocal critic of the European Union's support for Kiev in the war, said they discussed Russian gas supplies to Slovakia, on which his country depends.
An agreement with Russian gas giant Gazprom to transport energy through Ukraine to Slovakia is set to expire at the end of this year.
“Senior EU officials were informed of my trip and its purpose… on Friday,” Fico wrote on Facebook.
Fico said the meeting in Moscow was a reaction to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky telling European Union leaders that Ukraine remains opposed to the transportation of Russian gas through its territory.
Slovak Prime Minister, Who survived being shot earlier this yearHe added that he had a “long conversation” with Putin and that they “exchanged views on the military situation in Ukraine.”
Fico wrote on Facebook that they both discussed “prospects for an early peaceful end to the war” and mutual relations between Russia and Slovakia.
Slovakia and Hungary, which depend on Russian gas, have raised concerns about possible supply disruptions.
In October 2023, when Fico became prime minister again, He ended military aid provided by Slovakia to Ukraine.
But he insisted that he wanted to be a “good neighbor and friend” to Ukraine.
Fico's meeting with Putin came as the leaders of Italy, Sweden, Greece and Finland met on Sunday for a security summit.
Speaking afterwards, Finnish Prime Minister Petri Orpo said Russia represented a “permanent and serious threat” to the EU.
He also stressed the need to increase defense spending and support for Ukraine.
