The new ‘Iron Curtain’ that totally separates the Western Powers has again been breached by an EU and NATO country.
After Hungarian PM Viktor Orbán took his peace mission to Russia – facing the rage of his European peers – now it’s Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico’s turn to visit Moscow.
The visit – a rare event for an EU leader the start of the war in Ukraine in 2022, come right after Fico accused Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to try to bribe him to the tune of €500 million to get him to vote for Ukraine on NATO.
Watch: Fico was received today by Russian President Vladimir Putin for talks in the Kremlin.
JUST IN: Russian President Putin holds talks with Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico in Moscow. pic.twitter.com/FkOQK4meAK
— BRICS News (@BRICSinfo) December 22, 2024
Associated Press reported:
“Fico arrived in Russia on a ‘working visit’ and met with Putin one-on-one on Sunday evening, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told Russia’s RIA agency. According to Peskov, the talks would focus on ‘the international situation’ and Russian natural gas deliveries.”
It has become anathema for European leaders to try to maintain any meaningful bilateral foreign relations with Russia.
Olaf Scholz was blasted for a simple phone call, and besides Orbán’s visit, Serbia’s Aleksandar Vučić has also confirmed his presence next-year in Moscow for the 80-year celebration of the end of WW2, on ‘Victory Day’, May 9.
“Fico’s views on Russia’s war on Ukraine differ sharply from most European leaders. The Slovakian PM returned to power last year after his leftist party Smer (Direction) won parliamentary elections on a pro-Russia and anti-American platform. Since then, he has ended his country’s military aid for Ukraine, hit out at EU sanctions on Russia, and vowed to block Ukraine from joining NATO.”
According to Dmitri Peskov, Putin’s press secretary, the meeting was held on a one-on-one basis.
The talks with Putin have significant economic relevance for Bratislava, since Vladimir Zelensky’s refusal to continue Russian gas transit via Ukraine to Slovakia.
TASS reported:
“Fico said earlier that Zelensky’s decision not to extend gas transit via Ukraine would lead to a crisis in Slovakia as supplies of Russian gas via Ukraine are expected to halt from January 1, 2025 after the current five-year contract expires.”
Read more:
Slovak PM Fico Says Zelensky Tried to Bribe Him Into Voting for Ukraine Membership in NATO
