Russian President Vladimir Putin met on Friday with Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico, who openly challenges the European Union’s policy towards Ukraine, and Fico promised that Slovakia will veto the EU proposal to completely stop the import of energy from Russia to Europe. This is how AP and AFP 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.
AFP wrote that Fico ignored criticism by the European Union, which warned him before traveling to Moscow.
Invitation was an honor for Fico
“On the contrary, it was an honor of accepting the invitation I was happy to accept,” Fico said during a meeting with Putin, broadcast by Russian state television. Fico described the ban on a flight as a “ridiculous childish game”.
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.”
Fico said that Slovakia will veto the EU proposal to fully stop the import of energy from Russia to Europe if such a step requires the unanimous consent of the Member States.
Russia wants to resume relationships
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 news 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 he said there is no “military solution”.
