Robert Fico's “main goal” “is to do business with Russia”, criticized the Ukrainian president.
Volodymyr Zelensky in Brussels, Belgium, December 19, 2024. (AFP / JOHN THYS)
Is the Slovak Prime Minister “paid” by Russia? Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky denounced Robert Fico's visit to Moscow on Monday, December 23, the day before, accusing the head of the Slovak government of wanting to “help” Vladimir Putin “earn money to finance the war with kyiv”, in full of tension around the transit of Russian gas to the EU.
Faced with the Russian invasion for almost three years,
Ukraine announced last summer that it would not renew its contract with Russia until the end of the year
to transport Russian gas to Europe via its extensive network of gas pipelines.
Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico, who remained close to Vladimir Putin and whose
the country is very dependent on this supply
criticizes kyiv for this choice. But Robert Fico does not want to find solutions to replace Russian gas and ensure Europe's “energy independence”, accused Volodymyr Zelensky in an angry message.
This suggests that
“he wants to help Putin earn money to finance the war and weaken Europe”
the Ukrainian president wrote on
“Why is he so dependent on Moscow?”
Robert Fico's “main goal” “is to do business with Russia”, criticized Volodymyr Zelensky. “Why is this leader so dependent on Moscow?” he said, suggesting that Robert Fico could be “paid”.
Robert Fico, whose country is a member of the EU and NATO, is one of the only European leaders to have remained close to Vladimir Putin. He has decided to stop all military aid to Ukraine and is calling for peace talks. Robert Fico explained on Sunday that
his surprise visit to Moscow was “in response” to Volodymyr Zelensky's position on gas.
On Thursday, Volodymyr Zelensky spoke out against a possible transit mechanism for Russian gas purchased by Azerbaijan, one of the options considered.
According to Robert Fico, Vladimir Putin confirmed that he was ready to “continue supplying gas to the West and Slovakia, which will be practically impossible after January 1, 2025.” The two leaders also discussed the Russian invasion of Ukraine and spoke of “the possibility of a rapid and peaceful conclusion” of the conflict, added Robert Fico.
The Kremlin simply indicated on Monday that Vladimir Putin and Robert Fico had discussed Ukraine and gas. The issue of Russian gas deliveries to Europe is “a very difficult situation which requires increased attention”, said the spokesperson for the Russian presidency, Dmitry Peskov.
