Putin says Moscow 'will do everything' to meet Slovakia's energy needs

Moscow “will do everything” to help meet Slovakia's energy needs, Russian President Vladimir Putin said Saturday while meeting with Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico at the Kremlin.

Putin said relations between Russia and Slovakia have long been marked by strong political dialogue and stable cooperation but were complicated by the conflict in Ukraine and what he described as a confrontational policy imposed by the EU and NATO, two groups Slovakia is a member of.

“At the same time, your government strives to pursue a sovereign foreign policy and chart a pragmatic course toward Russia,” he said, welcoming the “gradual restoration of bilateral cooperation, which was effectively frozen by the efforts of the previous Slovak authorities.”

Fico took office in October 2023.

Putin added that the bilateral trade volume had declined over the past two years but that both sides hope the visit will help identify ways to restore and expand economic cooperation.

Putin also thanked Fico for attending Victory Day celebrations in Moscow despite logistical difficulties, and praised his stance on the “historical truth” about World War II and the role of the Soviet army in liberating Europe from Nazism.

The Soviet Union suffered the highest military losses of any nation in World War II, with some 8.7-11 million Red Army soldiers killed, as part of 20-27 million deaths overall, including civilians.

Steps to 'restore standard relations'

For his part, Fico said he would like to take this opportunity to discuss "serious issues" between their countries, arguing that he sees an "iron curtain" emerging again --referring to the east-west European boundary of the Cold War -- and that he supports mutually beneficial, friendly relations.

"I am convinced that both Slovakia and the Russian Federation can take several steps in the shortest possible time, aimed at restoring standard relations," Fico was quoted as saying in a Kremlin statement.

Noting that his country receives significant energy resources from Russia, Fico said they cannot limit themselves to cooperation in this area alone.

Earlier in the day, Russia held an annual military parade in Moscow’s Red Square to mark the anniversary of the Soviet victory in World War II, with the leaders of several countries in attendance, including Belarus, Kazakhstan, and Uzbekistan.

Following the meeting between Putin and Fico, Russian presidential aide Yuri Ushakov told reporters that the Ukraine war was among the topics discussed.

He added that the Fico also briefed Putin on his meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on the sidelines of the 8th European Political Community Summit in Armenia earlier this week, and denied Zelenskyy had conveyed any messages to Putin through Fico.

Alexey Likhachev, head of Russia's state atomic energy corporation Rosatom, also told journalists that the company is ready to participate in various formats for the construction of power units for a nuclear power plant in Slovakia.