Slovakia Risks Its Sovereignty With Russian Energy Deals, Zelenskyy Says

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy criticized Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico for his perceived dependence on Russia following Fico’s recent meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow on December 23.

“It is worth noting that after their meeting in Moscow, Fico and Putin did not issue joint statements or respond to media questions. They simply cannot say publicly anything about what they discussed in the meeting. They are afraid of the public’s reaction,” Zelenskyy remarked.

He also highlighted concerns over the nature of Moscow’s discounts to Slovakia, stating, “Moscow provides significant discounts to Fico, but Slovakia pays for them. Such discounts are not free—payments to Russia are made through sovereignty or murky schemes. This should be a matter of concern for Slovakia’s law enforcement and special services.”

Zelenskyy pointed to discussions during a recent European Union summit in Brussels, where it was observed that “Fico does not want to participate in the common European work on energy independence or seek a replacement for Russian gas, but rather wants to assist Russia in pushing American gas and energy resources of other partners away from Europe, implying that he wants to help Putin earn money to fund the war and weaken Europe.”

The Ukrainian president condemned such actions, calling them immoral: “We are losing people as a result of the war that Putin started, and we believe that such assistance to Putin is immoral.”

Zelenskyy further alleged that Fico refused compensations offered to ease Slovakia’s transition away from Russian energy dependence. “It is not a security issue for him. He is interested specifically in Russian gas and the matter’s worth is 500 million US dollars per year. Other profits come from the oil pipe that runs through Ukrainian territory and gives another 500 million US dollars per year, which helps Fico.”

Zelenskyy warned that Fico’s alignment with Russia poses a significant security risk for Slovakia and Europe. “Why is this leader so dependent on Moscow? What is being paid to him, and what does he pay with?”

Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda also criticized Fico on social media.

“How cheap is your love? There are those who come to Russia with love and feel gassed to meet a war criminal. This is not Lithuania’s way. We choose energy independence and real market prices—with no political strings attached! ,” Nausėda wrote.

Earlier, Fico said that during his December 22 meeting with Putin, they discussed gas transit, the war in Ukraine, and efforts to normalize relations between Russia and Slovakia.