On Friday, Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico (Smer-SD) met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Ukraine for their first bilateral talks on Ukrainian soil. Speaking at a joint press conference, Fico affirmed that Slovakia will pursue energy policies aligned with its sovereign national interests, emphasizing the importance of cooperation with Ukraine in securing reliable, high-quality energy at affordable prices. He stressed that countries should avoid actions that harm their neighbors.
Fico expressed a desire for friendly, “high-quality” relations with Ukraine and wished Zelenskyy success in resolving the issue of security guarantees.
“As a small country, Slovakia cannot play a decisive role, but we support all initiatives that lead to a ceasefire and lasting peace,” Fico said.
Zelenskyy said it would be appropriate for Slovakia to join a new European security system. He underlined the need for continued, pragmatic cooperation between the two countries—not just at the level of leaders but also among ministers and institutions. Ukraine, he added, is open to joint energy projects with Slovakia, but ruled out the use of Russian oil and gas due to the ongoing war with Russia.
In a separate interview on public radio (STVR) political debate, Fico revealed that during his recent meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in China, Putin expressed willingness to meet with Zelenskyy “anywhere but Moscow.”
Fico’s visit to Ukraine follows his meeting with Putin in China earlier in the week and marks his first trip to Ukraine since October 2024, when a joint Slovak-Ukrainian government session was held in Uzhhorod.
Source: TASR, STVR
