Fico posted a brief video of his greeting with Putin on his Telegram channel but offered no immediate comment on the substance of their one-on-one meeting.
If confirmed, it would mark the first encounter between the two since 2016 and make Fico the only European Union leader, apart from Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, to meet Putin despite Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine. Fico had previously indicated plans to seek a resolution to gas deliveries following Kyiv’s recent decision not to renew its transit agreement for Russian gas.
Slovak outlet Dennik N reported uncertainty over whether Fico’s coalition partners were informed about the trip.
In addition to Fico’s Smer party, the government includes the Hlas party and the Slovak National Party (SNS). Opposition figures have criticized Fico’s overtures to the Kremlin, which also include an invitation to attend World War II commemorations in Moscow in May 2025.
Fico, who has voiced criticism of EU sanctions against Russia and Western military aid to Ukraine, said he is prepared to restore normal relations with Moscow once the war in Ukraine ends.
He has also suggested that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy’s move to end Russian gas transit could trigger a “serious conflict.”
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Source: PAP