AP
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Russian President Vladimir Putin on Sunday hosted Slovakia’s top minister, Robert Fico, in a unprecedented consult with to the Kremlin by way of an EU chief since Moscow’s all-out invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
Fico arrived in Russia on a “running consult with” and met with Putin one-on-one on Sunday night time, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov instructed Russia’s RIA company. In line with Peskov, the talks had been anticipated to concentrate on “the world state of affairs” and Russian herbal fuel deliveries.
Russian herbal fuel nonetheless flows to a couple Ecu international locations, together with Slovakia, thru Ukraine underneath a five-year settlement signed earlier than the battle this is because of expire on the finish of this yr. At a summit in Brussels on Thursday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy instructed EU leaders that Kyiv has no goal of renewing the deal, one thing Fico insisted will hurt his nation’s pursuits.
Slovakia remaining month signed a momentary pilot contract to shop for herbal fuel from Azerbaijan, because it prepares for a imaginable halt to Russian provides thru Ukraine. Previous this yr, it struck a deal to import U.S. liquefied herbal fuel thru a pipeline from Poland.
The rustic too can obtain fuel thru Austrian, Hungarian and Czech networks, enabling imports from Germany amongst different attainable providers.
Visits and call calls from Ecu leaders to Putin had been uncommon since Moscow despatched troops into Ukraine, despite the fact that Hungary’s PM Viktor Orbán visited Russia in July, and Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer met with the Russian chief simply weeks into the full-scale battle. Each journeys drew condemnation from Kyiv and Ecu leaders.
Orbán, broadly observed as having the warmest members of the family with Putin amongst EU leaders, has automatically blocked, not on time or watered down EU efforts to lend a hand Kyiv and impose sanctions on Moscow for its movements in Ukraine. He has lengthy argued for a cessation of hostilities in Ukraine however with out outlining what that would possibly imply for the rustic’s territorial integrity or long term safety.
Fico’s perspectives on Russia’s battle on Ukraine fluctuate sharply from maximum different Ecu leaders. The Slovakian PM returned to energy remaining yr after his leftist birthday celebration Smer (Course) gained parliamentary elections on a pro-Russia and anti-American platform. Since then, he has ended his nation’s army support for Ukraine, hit out at EU sanctions on Russia, and vowed to dam Ukraine from becoming a member of NATO.
Fico has additionally been a unprecedented senior EU baby-kisser to seem on Russian state TV following Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine. In an interview with the Rossiya-1 channel in October, he contended the West has “extended the battle” by way of supporting Ukraine, including that sanctions in opposition to Russia had been useless. He declared that he used to be in a position to barter with Putin.
He additionally vowed to wait an army parade in Moscow subsequent Might that can mark the eightieth anniversary of Nazi Germany’s defeat in Global Struggle II. The Kremlin has used the yearly “Victory Day” celebrations to tout its battlefield prowess, and Putin hailed Russian troops combating in Ukraine as “heroes” at this yr’s tournament.
