ARCHIVE – Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico speaks about Ukraine’s decision to stop the transit of Russian gas to Europe during a media conference at the Slovakian embassy. Fico now wants to meet the presidents of Russia, China and Ukraine. Photo: Virginia Mayo/AP/dpa
Keystone
Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico wants to meet both Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky this week. He plans to meet Putin in Beijing on Tuesday evening as part of a trip to China and then Zelensky in eastern Slovakia on Friday, Fico said in a video message.
Fico is traveling to China to take part in commemorative events there to mark the anniversary of the end of the Second World War, including a military parade on Wednesday. On Thursday, China’s head of state and party leader Xi Jinping will receive him, said the left-wing nationalist head of government. The EU partners have been informed about his trip.
Fico wants to offer himself as a peacemaker between Ukraine and Russia. However, he has not yet succeeded in doing so because Zelensky and leading EU politicians accuse him of being too Russia-friendly.
Slovakia and Ukraine are also at odds over the fact that Kiev is obstructing the transit of Russian gas and oil to Slovakia. Slovakia is more dependent on Russian energy supplies than almost any other EU country. Ukraine, on the other hand, wants to block a source of funding for Russia’s war of aggression by stopping the transit.
In his video message, Fico regretted that no other EU head of government apart from himself was taking part in the Chinese celebrations. This was a missed opportunity: “There will be heads of state there who represent billions of people,” said Fico. “A new world order is emerging, new rules for a multipolar world, a new balance of power, which is extremely important for the stability of the world,” he argued.