Putin pitches Slovakia as mediator for Ukraine peace deal, says Fico 'takes neutral position'

Vladimir Putin said Russia was open to a Slovakian proposal to host peace talks with Ukraine to end a war, saying that “Slovakia takes such a neutral position.”

Putin, who hosted Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico in the Kremlin on December 22, said that Russia was determined to bring to a conclusion to the Ukraine war that nears the three-year mark.

Russia not opposed to Slovakia peace talks

In his address on Russian television on Thursday, Putin said that during his visit, Fico told him that Slovakian authorities “would be happy to provide their own country as a platform for negotiations.”

Putin further said, “We are not opposed, if it comes to that. Why not? Since Slovakia takes such a neutral position.”

The unannounced Russia visit of Fico, one of the few European leaders to maintain ties with the Kremlin, came despite the efforts from the Western nations to isolate Putin and present a united front in support for Ukraine.

Being member of both the EU and NATO, Slovakia has already stopped military aid to Ukraine since autumn 2023 under Fico’s government and has been persistently calling for peace talks.

Meanwhile, Fico said that during his “long conversation” with Putin, he had discussed issues including “the prospects of an early peaceful end to the war” in Ukraine. He made no mention at the time of offering to host or facilitate talks.

Fico’s surprise visit to Moscow, about which he claimed to have informed top EU leaders, came after last week’s European Union summit in Brussels where he tried without success to convince Kyiv to reconsider its refusal to extend a gas delivery contract using pipelines in Ukrainian territory.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was also present at the summit.

Ukraine said that it will not renew a contract expiring at the end of this year to allow Russia gas to transit its country toward Europe, and no feasible alternative has been found so far.

Zelenskyy reacts to Fico-Putin meet

Fico called the meeting with Putin “a response” to Zelenskyy and his unchanged stance, saying it threatened Slovakian energy supply and calling this “unacceptable.”

Meanwhile, the Slovakian PM’s Moscow visit was criticised by EU and Ukrainian officials, with Zelenskyy calling Fico’s pro-Russian energy policy a “big security issue” for Slovakia and Europe.

“Why is this leader so dependent on Moscow? What is being paid to him, and what does he pay with?” Zelenskyy asked in his criticism of the Slovakian leader.

Zelenskyy further alleged that Fico’s motives might not be in Slovakia’s interests.

“We are fighting for our lives, Fico is fighting for money, and it’s unlikely that money is for Slovakia. Shadow agreements with Putin are either a trade of state interests or working for personal gain,” the Ukrainian President said.

Will Russia-Ukraine conflict end in 2025?

During the press conference, Putin provided contradictory statements on bringing the Ukraine war to an end in 2025, saying that Russia aims “to end the conflict,” while also stating his hopes that his country will “achieve success on the front line.”

Also, Putin’s comments about the possible peace negotiations come just days ahead of US President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration on January 20, 2025.

Trump has already pledged to get the US “out” of Russia’s war and negotiate a quick peace deal. He also suggested on December 22 that Putin wants to hold a meeting with him “as soon as possible.”

With inputs from agencies.