Slovakia's PM Fico visits Moscow amid Ukraine gas dispute

Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico made an unannounced visit to Moscow on Sunday for what he and the Kremlin called a "working meeting" with President Vladimir Putin. 

Fico made the trip days after reaching a deadlock in a dispute with the government in Kyiv over the transit of Russian gas through Ukraine to Slovakia, with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy saying he does not intend to extend existing contracts past the end of the year.

The Slovak leader had tried to secure a change in this stance, without success, at the EU summit in Brussels earlier this week.

Fico is only the third leader of an EU member state to visit Moscow for talks with Putin since Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine. He follows Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer in April 2022 and, more recently, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban in July. 

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Sunday that the evening talks had concluded and that the two leaders would not issue a joint statement.

Fico's dependence on Russia a 'big security issue' — Zelenskyy

Zelenskyy on Monday criticized what he said was Fico's lack of interest in ending dependence on Russian resources.

"His key goal is to deal with Russia, and this is what benefits him. This is indeed a big security issue - both for Slovakia and the entire Europe," Zelenskyy said on X.

"Why is this leader so dependent on Moscow? What is being paid to him, and what does he pay with?" he added. 

Fico: Ukraine's gas, nuclear stances 'unacceptable'

Before Zelenskyy's comments on social media, Fico said on Facebook " that he had informed the EU's "top officials" of his trip "and its purpose" on Friday. 

"My meeting today was a response to the Ukrainian President [Volodymyr] Zelenskyy, who answered my personal question on Thursday that he was against any transit of gas through Ukraine to our territory," Fico said. 

He added that this position, and Zelenskyy favoring sanctions against Russia's nuclear program, was "financially damaging Slovakia and endangering the production of electricity in nuclear power plants in Slovakia, which is unacceptable."

He said that Putin had indicated a willingness to continue providing Slovakia and the West with gas, but that this was "practically impossible" given Zelenskyy's position.

Slovakia has a special dispensation from the EU, whose stated goal as a bloc is to eventually cut all ties to Russian gas, to continue importing from Russian state energy giant Gazprom, but without Ukraine's cooperation, the means of delivery does not currently exist.

Fico said that in a "long conversation," he and Putin had discussed views on the military situation in Ukraine, the prospects of an early peaceful end to the war, and Slovak-Russian relations, "which I intend to standardize."

Slovak opposition says Fico should negotiate in Kyiv instead

Fico's trip drew condemnation from his political opponents at home. Michal Simecka, leader of the largest opposition party, Progressive Slovakia, said that Fico was "only playing a dishonest game with his voters" and also "betraying" the country.

"The prime minister should discuss gas transit for Slovakia in Kyiv," Simecka said.

Branislav Gröhling, leader of the smaller liberal opposition party Freedom and Solidarity,  called Fico "a disgrace for Slovakia," adding that the prime minister did not speak for the entire country.

"He is not behaving like the head of government of a sovereign country, but like an ordinary collaborator," Gröhling said.

Fico ended military support for Ukraine when he became prime minister again in October 2023, but has also said he wants to be a "good, friendly neighbor" to Ukraine. 

kb,msh/km (AFP, AP, dpa, Reuters)