Putin says Slovakia offered to host peace talks

Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico “said that if there are negotiations, they (the Slovaks, editor's note) would be happy to provide the platform for their country,” Vladimir Putin declared during a press conference, saying judge this solution “acceptable”. “We are not against it,” he stressed, praising Slovakia’s “neutral position”.

Robert Fico, one of the few European leaders who remained close to the Kremlin, met the Russian president in Moscow on December 22. This visit by a European leader to the Russian capital, a very rare step, went against the policy of isolation of Vladimir Putin applied by the West, who strive to form a united front in their support for kyiv .

The hypothesis of peace negotiations to end the conflict in Ukraine, triggered by the Russian offensive in February 2022, is increasingly being mentioned less than a month before Donald Trump returns to the White House. The Republican, already president from 2017 to 2021, has repeatedly promised to restore peace to Ukraine “in 24 hours” and called for an “immediate ceasefire” as well as talks.

But the vagueness surrounding his plan arouses concern in Ukraine. In difficulty on the front and very dependent on Western aid, it fears being forced into an agreement that would be unfavorable to it.

Russian gas

Robert Fico, who has again led the government of Slovakia, a member country of the EU and NATO, since the fall of 2023, has decided to stop all military aid to Ukraine and is calling for peace talks. He also accuses kyiv of endangering his country's supply of Russian gas, on which it is very dependent.

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. No credible solution has yet been found.

The Ukrainians are “already punishing Europe by ending the contract for the supply of our gas,” said Vladimir Putin on Thursday. It is impossible to conclude a new contract “in 3-4 days”, he insisted. The Russian president assured that his country remained ready to supply gas to the EU, suggesting in particular that it be transported by the Yamal-Europe gas pipeline, a large section of which passes through Poland.

Vladimir Putin affirmed that Russia would achieve “all (its) objectives in Ukraine”. “That’s job number one,” he said. In this regard, the Russian president warned that his country was ready to once again use its latest generation Orechnik missile. “If it proves necessary and if we see that the use of more powerful mid-range weapons is required, of course we will use them, of course. But we are in no hurry,” he said.

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