Russian President Vladimir Putin has largely held back from sending New Year wishes to Western leaders, with the exception of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico, the Kremlin revealed on Monday.
Former German chancellor Gerhard Schröder is on a list of telegrams sent out, as is Orbán. While Fico is not formally on the list, Putin had sent greetings to the Slovakian prime minister, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.
In Russia’s view, both Hungary and Slovakia refrain from “Russophobe” policies. Both countries are also heavily dependent on Russian gas supplies.
Both Orbán and Fico have paid visits to Moscow since the Kremlin launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine almost three years ago, whereas other Western leaders have stayed away.
While both leaders have been critical of arms supplies by European Union countries to Kiev and of EU sanctions on Moscow, they have largely supported EU policies to date.
Fico and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky recently traded verbal blows regarding Ukraine’s decision not to renew a transit agreement for Russian gas to Slovakia. Fico threatened to cut electricity supplies to Ukraine in return.
On Sunday, Slovakian Defence Minister Robert Kaliňák said that Ukraine would need to cede territory to Russia to secure peace, an option repeatedly rejected by Zelensky in the past.
Russia currently controls some 20% of Ukrainian territory, including Crimea, illegally annexed by Moscow in 2014.
