Headline:
Slovakia’s Fico Heads to Kremlin for Secret Talks as Ukraine Gas Transit Deal Expires
Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico secretly traveled to Moscow for talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin, newly surfaced information reveals. The unexpected visit was confirmed by Kremlin-backed journalist Pavel Zarubin, who shared a short video of the two leaders on his Telegram channel.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed the meeting, stating that an agreement was reached a few days prior. He hinted that the discussions would center around Russia’s gas supply, a concern for many European nations, particularly those heavily reliant on Russian energy exports.
Ukraine previously announced its decision not to renew the agreement allowing Russia to transit gas through its territory, with the current deal set to expire on December 31. Neighboring Slovakia and Hungary have expressed worries about potentialupply disruptions.
Fico’s visit comes amidst escalating tensions between Russia and Ukraine and has raised eyebrows due to his stance onaluation of military aid to Ukraine. Since the Russian annexation of Crimea in 2014, Fico has been one of the few European leaders to maintain relatively friendly relations with the Kremlin.
In November, Fico publicly accepted Putin’s invitation to attend commemorations marking the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II in Moscow on May 9, 2025.
