Fico Freak: The Reaction to the Slovak Prime Minister's Meeting with Putin.

The Slovak Prime Minister recently visited the capital of the aggressor country to negotiate gas supplies amid Ukraine's statements about halting the transit of Russian gas through its territory starting January 1, 2025. Thus, Robert Fico became the third European leader, following Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, to visit Russia since the onset of the infamous Putin's "special operation."

As is known, Slovakia has repeatedly attempted to extend the agreement between Ukraine and Russia regarding the transit of Russian gas, which is set to expire in 2024. After a conversation with the Slovak Prime Minister last week, Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal confirmed that Kyiv rules out extending the transit agreement with Gazprom, but added that Ukraine is open to transporting gas through its gas transportation system if it does not come from Russia. Meanwhile, Politico recently reported that President Zelensky allegedly proposed to Mr. Fico to continue the transit of Russian gas to Slovakia in exchange for Bratislava's "approval" regarding Ukraine's NATO membership. This information was not commented on from Bankova.

Discussing his recent meeting with Putin, the Slovak Prime Minister emphasized: “Kyiv's decision causes financial damage to Slovakia and jeopardizes electricity production at Slovakia's nuclear power plants, which is unacceptable.” Fico added that Putin confirmed Russia's readiness to continue supplying gas to the West and to Slovakia, “which is practically impossible after January 1, 2025, given the position of the Ukrainian president.” The head of the Slovak government also noted that during their lengthy conversation, they “exchanged views on the military situation in Ukraine and the possibility of a swift peaceful resolution to the war.”

For his part, Putin's spokesperson Peskov noted that the conversation between the unchanging master of the Kremlin and Fico took place in a “one-on-one” format, adding: “You have certainly heard the statements from the Ukrainian side and are aware of the positions of European countries that continue to buy Russian gas and consider it necessary for the normal functioning of their economies. This is a very complex situation that requires increased attention.” Peskov also casually mentioned that “the President of Russia conveyed his vision of the current situation on the battlefields in Ukraine to his interlocutor.”

President Zelensky believes that Fico's desire to engage with Russia is a security issue for both Slovakia and all of Europe. “Moscow is offering significant discounts to Fico, but Slovakia is paying for them. Such discounts are not free – they are paid for with sovereignty or through shadow schemes. This should be of concern to Slovak law enforcement and intelligence agencies,” wrote the current master of Bankova on social media. The head of state particularly emphasized that details of such financing were revealed during a recent meeting of European leaders in Brussels, “who acknowledged that Fico does not want to participate in the collective European effort towards energy independence or seek alternatives to Russian gas, but rather aims to assist Russia in pushing American gas and energy resources from other partners out of Europe.”

“Such targeted actions mean that he (the Slovak Prime Minister – ed.) wants to help Putin earn money to finance the war and weaken Europe. We are losing people due to the war initiated by Putin, and we consider such assistance to Putin to be immoral. Thus, Fico's key goal is to do business with Russia, and that is what benefits him. This is indeed a significant security issue for both Slovakia and all of Europe. Why is this leader so dependent on Moscow? What does he receive in return, and what does he pay with?” summarized Volodymyr Zelensky.

The wave of similar rhetoric was instantly picked up by the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry. In the Sibiga department, it was stated that the weakness, dependence, and shortsightedness of the energy policy of Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico pose a threat to all of Europe: “Russia has long used energy as a weapon, which is why the pan-European trend is to reject Russian energy sources and increase energy independence. Against this backdrop, the persistent attempts of the head of the Slovak government to maintain energy dependence on Moscow, contrary to EU policy and the joint efforts of European countries to diversify energy supplies, are surprising. Over the past year, his (Robert Fico – ed.) actions have effectively aimed at helping Russia further push American and other gas from the European market, maintaining Europe's dependency and weakening our continent.”

“Ukraine pays the highest price – the price of human lives – to deter Russian aggression and protect European homes, including Slovak ones, from Russian killers. Ukraine will not accept the disgraceful policy of appeasement, which has already proven its fallibility in the past century. We call on all European partners to work together to reduce dependence on Russian energy sources and strengthen Europe's energy security,” summarized the domestic foreign policy agency.

Meanwhile, Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda, commenting on Fico's visit to the capital of the aggressor country, stated: “How cheap is your love? There are people who go to Russia with love and would strangle just to meet a war criminal. This is not Lithuania's path. We choose energy independence and real market prices – without any political ties!”

Czechia also reacted extremely negatively to the Slovak Prime Minister's trip to Moscow. In particular, the country's Foreign Minister Jan Lipavský emphasized: “It was the Czech government that ensured independence from Russian energy sources, so we wouldn’t have to crawl before a mass murderer. And it is the government of Petr Fiala that decided to postpone government consultations with Bratislava, which is becoming increasingly prudent with each step of the Slovak government.”

By the way, on Monday, December 23, a protest action took place in front of the Slovak government building in Bratislava, triggered by Prime Minister Robert Fico's trip to Moscow. According to the Slovak publication Aktuality, the protest, titled “Enough of Russia,” was organized by the public association “Peace of Ukraine.” The protest was attended by former Slovak Prime Ministers Igor Matovič and Eduard Heger, leaders of the local opposition, art figures, and Ukrainian refugees.

The organizers stated that by his trip, Robert Fico may have violated the law by collaborating with the aggressor. In light of this, participants of the protest intend to file a complaint with the Slovak General Prosecutor's Office in the near future.

“Traitor!”, “Enough Fico!”, the crowd shouted at the Prime Minister. And at the end of the action, the well-known slogan that resonates not only in our country but around the world rang out a hundredfold: “Glory to Ukraine!”

“If we think rationally, what, one might ask, could Fico want from the bunker? To resume gas supplies through Ukrainian territory? How can this be done? There are no alternative routes through Ukraine. So, Fico expects that the bunker will exert pressure on Ukraine, and it will agree. But how can he exert pressure? Well, clearly not through UN Security Council resolutions or international court rulings. That is, there are no options other than that Fico asked the bunker to intensify terrorist acts against civilian Ukrainians. Of course, the Russians will record this and add it to the “Fico” folder. Among other compromising materials,” comments political scientist Petr Oleshchuk regarding the Slovak Prime Minister's visit to Moscow.

Questioning “why this fool went for such a thing,” the expert noted: “This is actually a mystery. However, the fact is that what Fico previously did for the Russians for money, he will now do for free. As an accomplice in war crimes, the evidence of which is reliably hidden until the right moment.”