Fico in Moscow: Gas deal with Putin endangers the Ukraine aid!

Fico in Moscow: Gas deal with Putin endangers the Ukraine aid!

Moskau, Russland - In a surprising move, the Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico took the stage in Moscow and met with the mighty Russian President Vladimir Putin! These mysterious conversations raise questions and could further heat the geopolitical tensions in Europe.

fico, who has sharply criticized the support of the European Union for Ukraine in the past, spoke about a “peaceful way out of war” in Ukraine. In a Facebook post, he explained that he was convinced that there is no military solution for the conflict that made the Western leaders on alert. "The situation is extremely complicated," says Fico, who informed the EU leaders about his visit-the third of an EU leader since Russia's raid on Ukraine in 2022.

a controversial visit

fico's trip follows talks with the Ukrainian President Wolodymyr Selenskyj, who spoke out against the gastransite through Ukraine to Slovakia. Selenskyj had informed the EU leaders in Brussels that Kiev did not intend to extend the existing contract, which Fico sees as a threat to the interests of his country. "Russia is ready to deliver gas to the West and Slovakia, which will be practically impossible after January 1, 2025," warned Fico.

The reactions on Fico's visit are mixed. Opposition politicians in Slovakia described the trip as "shame". Selenskyj himself expressed himself skeptically and accused Fico and Putin not to be able to express himself openly, out of fear of public reaction. On platform X, he noticed that the EU leaders Fico's resistance to reduce the energy dependency of Russia would have taken note of, which gave the impression that he wanted to help Putin earn money for war and weaken Europe. "Such support for Putin is immoral," says Selenskyj.

The energy request in the focus

Russian natural gas continues to flow through Ukraine to some European countries, including Slovakia, as part of a five -year contract that was signed before the war and expires at the end of this year. In order to prepare for possible bottlenecks, Slovakia recently signed a short -term pilot contract with Azerbaijan for natural gas procurement and plans to import liquid gas from the USA via a pipeline from Poland.

fico has hired military support for Ukraine since he came to power in 2023 and has steered the Slovak foreign policy in a new direction. He also criticized the western sanctions against Moscow and emphasizes that he wants to "standardize" the Slovak-Russian relationships. But the question remains: What does this visit mean for the future of Slovakia and its role in Europe?