Putin welcomes Slovak PM Fico to Moscow in rare visit by EU leader

NEWS WIRES

22 December 2024 at 6:49 pm·1-min read

Russia's President Vladimir Putin shakes hands with Slovakia's Prime Minister Robert Fico prior to their talks in Moscow on December 22, 2024.

Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico held talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow on Sunday, discussing gas transit and the war in Ukraine, as Kyiv signals it will not renew a key gas deal with Slovakia. The visit, condemned by Slovak opposition parties, highlights Fico's pro-Russia stance.

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Sunday hosted Slovakia’s prime minister, Robert Fico, in a rare visit to the Kremlin by an EU leader since Moscow's all-out invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

Fico arrived in Russia on a “working visit” and met with Putin one-on-one on Sunday evening, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told Russia’s RIA news agency. According to Peskov, the talks were expected to focus on “the international situation” and Russian natural gas deliveries.

Fico said on Facebook after meeting with Putin that he informed European Union leaders about his trip on Friday.

His trip was condemned by the major Slovak opposition parties.

The country can also receive gas through Austrian, Hungarian and Czech networks, enabling imports from Germany among other potential suppliers.

(AP)

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