Putin set to hold talks with Slovak PM Fico in China

Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico is one of the few EU leaders to maintain regular contact with Vladimir Putin since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

According to Kremlin foreign policy aide Yuri Ushakov, the meeting in China was “planned,” but no details on the agenda or exact date have been disclosed.

Fico intends to attend a military parade in Beijing on Wednesday, September 3, marking the end of the Asian theater of World War II. At the same time, Putin will be in Tianjin for a Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit before joining Chinese leader Xi Jinping at the parade in Beijing.

Fico’s diplomatic moves have caused unease in the EU. He has repeatedly criticized the bloc’s support for Ukraine and opposed efforts to reduce imports of Russian energy, despite Slovakia's heavy dependence on Russian gas.

In May, Fico surprised Brussels by traveling to Moscow for Putin’s Victory Day parade on Red Square, further deepening rifts between Slovakia and other EU states.

Observers note that the Putin–Fico meeting will be closely watched, as it could signal growing divisions within the European Union over its Russia policy.

Putin is currently in China for a four-day visit at the invitation of Xi Jinping, who asked him to attend the parade marking the World War II anniversary.

Earlier, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy expressed hope that China would press Putin to pursue peace in Ukraine during his SCO summit trip. Meanwhile, Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry urged participating states to strongly condemn Russian strikes, including the recent attack on Kyiv that killed more than 20 people, among them children.