Fico not to visit Zelenskyy in Kyiv - Deputy Speaker of Parliament
Photo: Prime Minister of Slovakia Robert Fico (Getty Images)
The Prime Minister of Slovakia, Robert Fico, will not travel to Kyiv for talks with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, RBC-Ukraine reports, citing Tibor Gaspar, Deputy Speaker of the Slovak Parliament, in his comment to the Russian state agency TASS.
"Yesterday, Prime Minister Fico published an open letter to Zelenskyy and invited him to negotiations. Zelenskyy responded that he should come to Kyiv on Friday. That is impossible. I think it won't happen," Gaspar, who is currently in Moscow, said.
Earlier, Fico posted a message on Facebook, inviting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for a meeting near the state border on Slovak territory.
The Slovak Prime Minister stated that he would like to discuss the suspension of Russian gas transit. He also expressed a desire to continue dialogue with Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal.
On the evening of January 13, Zelenskyy responded to Fico's proposal. He agreed to meet, but only in Kyiv and this week. "Okay. Come to Kyiv on Friday," the President of Ukraine replied.
The Slovak government is dissatisfied with the loss of income from Russian gas transit following the expiration of the contract between Naftogaz of Ukraine and Gazprom on January 1, 2025.
Fico has threatened to stop electricity supplies to Ukraine and cut aid to Ukrainian refugees. He has already traveled to Moscow to meet with Putin and stated that he had secured Russian gas supplies bypassing Ukraine, although he did not clarify how the gas would be delivered.
Zelenskyy stated that Fico had miscalculated in his foreign and energy policies. He also called his hopes for long-term cooperation with Moscow a mistake. Ukraine's President reminded that he had offered Slovakia assistance in adapting to the absence of Russian gas transit, but the Prime Minister "arrogantly refused."
