Prime Minister Robert Fico (Smer-SD) arrived on Sunday for a working visit to Moscow, where he held talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Russian news agency TASS reported, citing Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov, according to whom the visit was planned several days in advance.
Fico posted on a social network that he has been pursuing a sovereign policy in all four cardinal directions and that he informed the EU's top officials about his trip on Friday (December 20). He wrote that his meeting with the Russian President was a reaction to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky saying that he is against the gas transit to the Slovak territory via Ukraine.
Photo: TASR/AP
"The Ukrainian President also supports sanctions against the Russian nuclear program. With attitudes like this he financially harms Slovakia and threatens the production of electricity in nuclear power facilities in Slovakia, which is unacceptable," wrote the Premier.
According to Fico, Putin confirmed that Russia is still ready to supply gas to the West and to Slovakia, but this is "practically impossible given the Ukrainian President's attitude after January 1, 2025".
Fico also reported that during his long talks with the Russian President, they exchanged opinions on the military situation in Ukraine, the possibility of an early peaceful end to the war and mutual relations between Slovakia and Russia, which he "intends to standardize".
"Activities related to the 80th anniversary of the end of the WWII and the victory over fascism, where Russians, Belarusians, Ukrainians and other nations of the former USSR played a decisive role, will be also instrumental in this," said Fico.
The Premier’s trip to visit Putin is a disgrace for Slovakia and a betrayal of national interests, the head of the opposition Progressive Slovakia (PS) party Michal Simecka stated on Sunday, adding that if Fico was concerned about gas transit, he should have held talks with Ukraine.
PS member and former foreign minister Ivan Korcok described Fico's visit as a turning point in Slovak foreign policy. "It is a betrayal of the allies and of Slovakia. It is a turning point in our foreign policy for which the Premier has no mandate," noted Korcok.
The opposition SaS party strongly condemns the negotiations between Premier Fico and Russian President Vladimir Putin, party leader Branislav Groehling stated on Sunday, adding that negotiations with Putin on anything are a betrayal not only of Slovakia, but also of its foreign policy direction and of its EU and NATO allies.
The Prime Minister is endangering the people in Slovakia and the country's anchoring in the EU and NATO by his actions, chairman of the opposition KDH, Milan Majersky posted on a social network on Sunday, adding that by serving the Russian regime, he is singling Slovakia out from a community that clearly condemns Russia's aggression against Ukraine.
Coalition member Hlas-SD will not comment of the Prime Minister’s negotiations in Russia stated party spokesperson Michaela Eliasova on Sunday.
Source: TASR
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