Russian President Vladimir Putin met on Friday with Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico, which openly challenges the policy of the European Union towards Ukraine. This is how the AP reported on the meeting, from which the report was taken over by TASR.
The Baltic countries of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, which neighbors Russia, announced at the beginning of the week that they would close their airspace for aircraft carrying leaders of Serbia and Slovakia to Moscow for security reasons. Putin thanked Fico for his visit, commented on Fico’s “logistical problems”. “I think that those who tried to prevent you in the way have again realized that it was better not to do it,” Putin said. “You will achieve your goals anyway.”
The Russian President promised to try to renew bilateral relations with Slovakia, which is a member of the EU and NATO. According to him, these relations “de facto frozen” the previous Slovak government “which clearly followed the collective line of the West”.
According to the Russian State Press Agency RIA Novosti Fico said that Slovakia is interested in “normal” relations with Russia and welcomes diplomatic efforts to end the war in Ukraine, Because, according to him, the “military solution does not exist”.
