Zelenskyy accuses Fico of aiding Putin in weakening Europe

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy slammed Slovakia’s Prime Minister Robert Fico in a post on social media platform X, formerly Twitter, accusing the Slovak leader of helping Russia’s Vladimir Putin weaken Europe.

Zelenskyy’s comments followed a rare visit to Moscow by an EU leader since the Kremlin launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

Fico’s visit to the Russian capital on Sunday was classified as a one-one-one “working visit” with Putin aimed at discussing “the international situation”, prospects of a “peaceful end” to the war in Ukraine and Russian natural gas deliveries to Slovakia.

Fico’s trip followed Zelenskyy’s comments on Thursday’s European Summit in Brussels. The Ukrainian leader declared his intention of not renewing a five-year agreement signed before the war on his country that enabled the flow of Russian natural gas to some European countries; including Slovakia, through Ukraine, set to expire at the end of this year.

Fico said Zelenskyy’s decision would harm his country’s interests and economy, opting to seek an alternative arrangement with Putin instead of sourcing an alternative to Russian gas.

Zelenskyy took to X saying the dependency and purchase of Russian gas helps Putin earn money to fund his war on Ukraine. “We are losing people as a result of the war that Putin started, and we believe that such assistance to Putin is immoral.”

“Moscow provides significant discounts to Fico, but Slovakia pays for them. Such discounts are not free, payments to Russia are made through sovereignty or murky schemes. This should be a matter of concern for Slovakia’s law enforcement and special services,” continued Zelenskyy.

Zelenskyy says that evidence of such financing was revealed in last week’s Summit in Brussels. “Leaders observed that Mr. Fico does not want to participate in the common European work on energy independence or seek replacement for Russian gas, but rather wants to assist Russia in pushing American gas and energy resources of other partners away from Europe,” added the Ukrainian president.

Zelenskyy noted that Fico had even refused compensations offered to Slovakia to ease the transition period as Europe looks to decrease its reliance on Russian energy. The Ukrainian leader implied that the Kremlin had incentivised Fico monetarily to ensure Slovakia’s continued interest in only Russian gas.

“It is not a security issue for him. He is interested specifically in the Russian gas and the matter’s worth is 500 million U.S. dollars per year. Other profits come from the oil pipe that runs through the Ukrainian territory and gives another 500 million U.S. dollars per year, which helps Mr. Fico.”

Criticism over Fico’s visit to Moscow grows domestically

Thousands of people took part in anti-government protests in the capital, Bratislava, on Monday after the Slovak premier’s surprise talks with Putin.

Protesters held placards calling Fico a traitor and denouncing him as their prime minister.

In a post on X, Michal Šimečka, leader of Slovakia’s largest opposition party, Progressive Slovakia, called Fico’s visit a source of shame for the country, likening it to betraying their national interests and partners.

He continued accusing his rival of making Slovakia a tool of the Kremlin’s propaganda machine, insisting Fico should have negotiated with Ukraine if gas was truly his point of concern.

Latest on the ground in Ukraine

Russian troops have reportedly made significant advancements in various Ukrainian territories, leaving Kiev’s forces on the back foot.

Ukraine has lost territory to Russian forces in the northeastern Kharkiv Oblast and eastern Donetsk Oblast regions, according to Ukrainian media outlets.

The Kremlin’s gains in the region were kickstarted by Russia’s capturing of Avdiivka in February, paving the way for major offensives to batter Ukraine’s eastern fronts for the remainder of the year.

Several key industrial cities in the Donetsk region quickly fell to Russian attacks, as Ukraine, struggling with troop shortages is now ending the year having ceded multiple key territories.

Ukrainian media also reports that a Russian counteroffensive involving North Korean troops may be imminent, offering little respite or prospect for a positive change on the battleground.