Russia Putin can imagine Slovakia as a mediator
Russian President Vladimir Putin can imagine Slovakia as a meeting place for possible talks on ending the war in Ukraine.
27.12.2024, 00:27
SDA
Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico offered his country as a platform during his visit to Moscow last Sunday, the Kremlin leader told journalists. "If it comes to that, why not? Because Slovakia is taking a neutral position from our point of view," Putin said at the Igora sports center north of St. Petersburg.
In Slovakia, Putin's comments sparked fierce criticism from the opposition. Michal Simecka, the leader of the largest opposition party, wrote on Facebook: "It is absurd that once again someone other than our own government is informing us about the foreign policy of the Slovak Republic. (...) Now even the Russian president and criminal Vladimir Putin."
In response to Fico's alleged offer to Putin to organize Russian-Ukrainian talks in Bratislava, Simecka made a counter-proposal: "If Fico wants peace, he should first ask Putin to stop his attacks and stop murdering innocent people in Ukraine. If the Russian armed forces stop their attacks, they can negotiate directly on Fico's terrace," he added sarcastically.
Putin: Quick new gas contract impossible
Fico's visit to Putin has drawn criticism from Ukraine, but also from the EU. The visit is also likely to have been about gas supplies. Ukraine stopped the transit of Russian gas at the beginning of the year, which poses problems for Slovakia. Putin once again accused Ukraine of cutting off European customers from Russian gas. However, it is not possible to conclude a new agreement with other transporters in "three or four days" before the transit contract expires, the president said.
Ukraine will lose the transit fees, which were still paid despite the war. However, it wants to deprive Russia of the opportunity to earn money for its war effort by exporting gas to Europe.
