Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico has offered his country as a meeting place for possible talks on ending the war in Ukraine.
“If anyone turns to us and is interested in organizing peace talks in Slovakia about the conflict between Ukraine and Russia, they can count on our hospitality,” Fico said in a video message published on Facebook late on Friday.
He said he had discussed the proposal with Russian President Vladimir Putin during his recent surprise visit to Moscow and was pleased with the positive reaction.
Putin on Friday welcomed the initiative.
The left-wing populist Fico has repeatedly criticized the West’s policy on Ukraine. His trip to Putin has drawn fierce criticism from Kiev and the EU.
Fico threatens to cut off electricity to Ukraine
Fico combined his offer to mediate in Russia’s invasion of Ukraine with a threat against Kiev.
If Ukraine stops the transit of Russian gas to Slovakia as planned on January 1, then “adequate countermeasures” will be taken, Fico warned.
“If it is unavoidable, we will cut off the electricity supplies that Ukraine urgently needs when it has supply bottlenecks,” he said.
Kiev has vowed to stop the transit of Russian gas through Ukrainian territory on January 1, angering Slovakia.
Ukraine will lose transit fees, which were still being paid by Russia despite the fighting. But it wants to deprive Moscow of the opportunity to finance its war by exporting gas to Europe.
Zelensky slams Fico’s warnings
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky interpreted Fico’s threat as an order from the Kremlin.
“It appears that Putin gave Fico the order to open the second energy front against Ukraine at the expense of the Slovak people’s interests,” Zelensky wrote on X.
Zelensky said Ukraine has so far been able to prevent a blackout through the heroic efforts of energy workers and co-operation with the EU.
However, he argued that the dispute over the transit of Russian gas shows “Fico is dragging Slovakia into Russia’s attempts to cause more suffering for Ukrainians.”
“Supporting Russian aggression is completely immoral,” Zelensky added.
