Slovak Prime Minister Fico Reveals Details of His Talks With Putin

Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico said that during his December 22 meeting with Russian leader Vladimir Putin they discussed gas transit, the war in Ukraine, and efforts to normalize relations between Russia and Slovakia.

“In a lengthy conversation, Putin and I exchanged views on the military situation in Ukraine, the possibilities for a swift peaceful resolution of the war, and the bilateral relations between Slovakia and Russia, which I intend to standardize,” Fico wrote.

Putin hosted Fico at the Kremlin, and the talks took place in a "one-on-one" format. The Slovak prime minister's visit to Moscow had been planned several days in advance.

After the meeting, Fico announced that he had informed the European Union leadership about his trip to Moscow. He explained that the visit was in response to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's decision to halt gas transit through Ukraine to Slovakia.

“President Zelenskyy is also pushing for sanctions against Russia’s nuclear program. With this stance, Slovakia is facing financial harm and jeopardizing its nuclear power production, which is unacceptable,” said the Slovak prime minister.

According to Fico, Putin confirmed Russia's willingness to continue gas supplies to Slovakia and Western countries.

“Putin confirmed the readiness of the Russian Federation to continue supplying gas to the West and Slovakia, which is practically impossible given the position of the Ukrainian president after January 1, 2025," he wrote.

On December 19, during a European Council meeting, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that Ukraine would not agree to any gas transit options that would allow Russia to profit. He emphasized that any schemes involving the reselling of Russian gas by other countries would also contribute to funding the war.

In response, Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico warned on December 20 that Ukraine's stance could trigger a gas crisis in Slovakia.