Peskov added it might be “simply assumed” that power ties might be at the schedule. The diplomatic shuttle got here as Slovakia and Hungary search a deal to keep away from being bring to a halt from Russian fuel when a key transit settlement with Ukraine expires on the finish of 2024.
Since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine nearly 3 years in the past, handiest two different EU heads of presidency have visited Putin — Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer and Hungarian Top Minister Viktor Orbán. Each journeys have been broadly condemned, with the EU’s govt arm publicly rebuking Orbán’s self-declared peace venture and insisting he had no mandate to barter.
Whilst Fico’s shuttle was once no longer introduced upfront through the Slovak govt, Serbian President Aleksandr Vučić hinted the Slovak chief may just shuttle to Moscow on Monday to speak about fuel purchases. “I would not have to let you know what sort of response [this] will purpose amongst different Eu leaders from the EU,” he stated.
A spokesperson for the Eu Fee was once no longer right away to be had to remark.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has dominated out extending an settlement with Russian state power corporate Gazprom that permits it to export herbal fuel by way of the rustic’s pipeline community to Slovakia, Hungary and different Central Eu nations. Putin has additionally prior to now stated he expects the contract to come back to an finish.
Fico, who together with Orbán has constantly been some of the Russia-friendly leaders within the EU, had promised “very intense” negotiations in the back of the scenes to keep away from that time limit. A senior guide to Zelenskyy instructed POLITICO on Saturday that Kyiv estimates Slovakia earns round part one billion greenbacks a yr from get right of entry to to discounted Russian fuel.
Fico has many times praised Russia and Putin, whilst the Kremlin has been similarly solicitous in reaction, with Peskov describing Fico’s Would possibly 2024 assassination strive as a “nice tragedy” and bidding him a “rapid restoration.”
In February 2024, Fico stated: “The West is not able to confess that its process of the use of the war in Ukraine to smash the Russian Federation has been unsuccessful.”