Prime Minister Robert Fico has invited Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenksy to Slovakia for talks after weeks of mutual accusations and threats.
In an open letter to the Ukrainian head of state published by the government office in Bratislava on Monday, the left-wing nationalist prime minister recalled that Slovakia had always supported its neighbouring country.
He suggested Zelensky might use the newly opened direct rail link from Kiev to Slovakia for his visit.
Zelensky responded with a counter-invitation on the platform X. “OK. Come to Kyiv on Friday,” was his brief response to Fico’s invitation, written in English.
Fico summarized his view that the halt to Russian gas transit was not only damaging for Slovakia, but also for the EU and Ukraine itself.
He called on the Ukrainian side to take part in talks on this at EU level. Slovakia also offered to host Ukrainian-Russian peace negotiations.
Earlier, Fico had threatened Ukraine with “countermeasures” for halting gas transit. Ukraine stopped the transit of gas at the beginning of the year.
Fico wrote that to avoid escalating tensions he did not want to react to Zelensky’s latest statements. The Ukrainian president had accused him of “shady dealings with Moscow” and insinuated that his controversial trip to Moscow before Christmas was not for the benefit of the Slovakian people but for his own enrichment.
Fico had a surprise meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin on December 22, saying that he had done so to discuss alternative options for gas supplies.
EU and NATO member Slovakia is more dependent on Russian gas than almost any other country in Europe.