Putin welcomes Slovak PM to Moscow, a rare visit by EU leader

Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico held talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow on Sunday, discussing gas transit and the war in Ukraine, as Kyiv signals it will not renew a key gas deal with Slovakia. The visit, condemned by Slovak opposition parties, highlights Fico's pro-Russia stance. Russian President on Sunday hosted Slovakia’s prime minister, , in a rare visit to the by an EU leader since 's all-out invasion of in February 2022.

Fico arrived in on a “working visit” and met with Putin one-on-one on Sunday evening, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told Russia’s RIA news agency. According to Peskov, the talks were expected to focus on “the international situation” and Russian natural gas deliveries. Fico said on Facebook after meeting with Putin that he informed leaders about his trip on Friday.



His trip was condemned by the major Slovak opposition parties. The country can also receive gas through Austrian, Hungarian and Czech networks, enabling imports from Germany among other potential suppliers. Read also:.