The unannounced pre-Christmas meeting between Fico and Putin was reported at the time as an attempt by the Slovak leader to find a way around Kyiv’s refusal to extend Russian gas deliveries to Bratislava following the expiry of an existing contract at the end of 2024.
No mention was then made of brokering peace talks, although Fico later stated in a social media post that “during a long conversation with V. Putin we did exchange opinions on the military situation in Ukraine [and] on the possibilities of bringing the war to a peaceful end.”
Slovak opposition leader Michal Šimečka told local media that if Fico wants peace between Russia and Ukraine he should get Putin to end the war: “If Russia’s military ceases its attacks, they [Fico and Putin] are welcome to talk peace on Fico’s porch if they like.”
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, meanwhile, noted on X following the meeting between Fico and Putin that the two “did not issue joint statements or respond to media questions,” alleging it was because “they are afraid of the public’s reaction.”
“Why is this leader [Fico] so dependent on Moscow?” Zelenskyy asked. “What is being paid to him, and what does he pay with?”