Vladimir Putin Meets Slovak PM Robert Fico in Kremlin for Russia’s Victory Day

President Vladimir Putin received Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico in the Kremlin for Russia's Victory Day on Saturday, telling him, "But the important thing is that you're here," during their meeting.

Putin said he and Fico discussed energy, adding, "We will do everything we can to meet the Slovak Republic's energy needs," as the Kremlin framed the visit as a step toward restoring bilateral cooperation.

Citizen Digital

The meeting included Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak, Presidential Aide Yury Ushakov, and General Director of the State Atomic Energy Corporation Rosatom Alexei Likhachev on the Russian side.

Citizen Digital reported that a handful of European states refused to let Fico's plane use their airspace on his way to Moscow, and it said the Victory Day parade on Moscow's central Red Square took place without military hardware.

Fico did not attend the parade on Red Square and instead laid flowers on Friday at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, while the Kremlin linked the visit to relations between Russia and the EU after Putin ordered troops into neighbouring Ukraine four years ago.

TRT World reported that Putin told Fico, "We will do everything to satisfy Slovakia's needs in energy resources," during the Kremlin meeting, and it noted Slovakia is among only a few European countries still buying Russia's oil and gas.

TRT World added that Slovakia gets Russian oil via the Soviet-built Druzhba pipeline and natural gas through the TurkStream pipeline, while Fico chose not to attend the Victory Parade on Moscow's Red Square.

DIE WELT

Euractiv FR said Slovakia's pro-Western opposition parties united to challenge Robert Fico's government, accusing it of steering the country toward Russia and announcing they would file a no-confidence motion as soon as possible.

Euractiv FR also quoted opposition leader Michal Šimečka saying, "they must deliver the same message as a group," and it reported that the opposition holds 71 of the 150 seats in the Slovak parliament.

Euractiv FR said Fico announced he would attend the extraordinary session on his potential ouster and would urge coalition lawmakers to ensure a quorum in Parliament, with the date depending on Vice President Peter Žiga.

Le Figaro reported that Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico declared a state of emergency in oil supply due to the interruption of deliveries via the Druzhba pipeline and threatened Ukraine with retaliatory measures if the situation persists.

“Slovak president Fico met Vladimir Putin in Moscow despite criticism”

DIE WELT

Le Figaro said Fico announced Slovakia would release 250,000 tonnes of its emergency reserves, and it quoted him threatening to end electricity supply cooperation with Ukraine if electricity is cut there due to Russian strikes and the situation persists.

DIE WELT reported that Fico rejected a new Iron Curtain between the EU and Russia, saying in a video on social media on the return flight from Moscow to Bratislava, "I reject a new Iron Curtain between the EU and Russia."

DIE WELT added that Fico called the EU aim to detach from Russian energy supplies "purely 'ideological'" and said it would be a mistake to replace one energy dependency with another, out of hatred for Russia, this time with an American one.

DIE WELT also said Fico was not allowed to fly over the Baltic EU and NATO states Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania on the way to Moscow, and it reported that Estonia's foreign minister said, "Fico will again not receive permission to use Estonian airspace for a flight to Moscow to participate in the May 9 parade."