Slovak PM arrives in Kremlin for talks with Putin – video
Slovakia's Prime Minister Robert Fico is now visiting Russia to meet with Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin.
Source: Pavel Zarubin, a Russian propagandist, writes TASS, as reported by European Pravda
Details: Dmitry Peskov, the Kremlin spokesperson, indicated that Fico's visit to Russia was scheduled some days before. According to TASS, Peskov stated that "it can be assumed" that Putin and Fico will discuss Russian gas, but that the meeting must be concluded first.
Fico's visit is his first trip to Russia after returning to power in 2023.
The Slovak prime minister became the third European leader after Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán to visit Moscow since the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Background:
- As reported earlier, Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić announced that Fico may soon travel to Moscow to engage in talks with Kremlin ruler Vladimir Putin on gas supplies after 2024.
- Vučič wrote that Fico will meet Putin on Monday, 23 December.
- Slovakia has repeatedly tried to achieve an extension of the agreement between Ukraine and Russia on the transit of Russian gas, which is due to expire in 2024.
- In a conversation with Fico this week, Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal confirmed that Kyiv opposes the continuation of the transit deal with Russian Gazprom, but added that Ukraine was willing to transport gas through its natural gas transmission system if it is not from Russia.
- On 19 December, Zelenskyy confirmed that Ukraine was not considering renewing the agreement with Gazprom on the transit of Russian gas to Europe, and made it clear that Kyiv would not agree to pump Russian gas under the guise of Azerbaijani gas.
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