Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico (Smer-SD) met Russian President Vladimir Putin in Beijing on Tuesday during the 80th anniversary celebrations of the end of the Second World War. Both leaders praised bilateral relations and discussed the situation in Ukraine.
President Putin said Moscow values what he called Slovakia’s “independent foreign policy,” which he believes benefits its economy. He also expressed hope that trade and energy cooperation with Slovakia will continue.
Prime Minister Fico, in turn, confirmed that Slovakia will oppose the EU’s plan to end Russian gas imports by 2028, adding that he wants to normalise ties with Russia.
On Ukraine, both leaders repeated their position that Kyiv cannot join NATO, though they voiced no objection to its EU membership. Fico also criticised Ukrainian strikes on energy infrastructure, saying he plans to raise the issue directly with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy when they meet in Uzhhorod on Friday.
The Slovak Prime Minister suggested that Russian and American companies could cooperate in the construction of a new nuclear facility in Slovakia, noting that all of the country’s current reactors are of Soviet or Russian design.
President Peter Pellegrini welcomed the talks as part of a wider diplomatic effort, pointing to Fico’s meetings with Putin, Chinese President Xi Jinping, and his upcoming meeting with Zelenskyy as steps that could support dialogue toward ending the war.
Meanwhile, the Slovak opposition sharply criticised the meeting with Putin, calling it a betrayal of Western allies and an act of propaganda for Moscow.
Progressive Slovakia leader Michal Šimečka said Fico has chosen to surrender Slovakia to Russian interests, meeting Putin more often than any European leader. He called the meeting the most “servile” yet, while Freedom and Solidarity MP Juraj Krúpa described the talks as treason.
Source: TASR, Reuters
