Slovak PM Fico Meets Putin, Defying EU Criticism

Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico met Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Kremlin on Friday, defying criticism from the European Union, which had warned him against travelling to Moscow.

Fico, known for his pro-Russian stances, was the only EU leader to attend the country's World War II commemorations.

"On the contrary, it was an honour to receive the invitation which I happily accepted," he said in a meeting with Putin televised on Russian state TV.

The European Union's top diplomat Kaja Kallas had warned Fico against the trip, and he had to revise his schedule after the Baltic states banned his plane from crossing en route to the Russian capital.

Fico described the airspace ban as "a funny childish game".

He also said Slovakia would veto an EU proposal to halt all energy imports from Russia to Europe if it required unanimous approval.

Putin told Fico he would do "everything" in his power to restore ties with Slovakia, which he said had been "frozen" under collective Western pressure.

"We had always maintained relations with Slovakia as a friendly country," he said.

Echoing his Hungarian ally Viktor Orban, Fico has repeatedly criticised the European Union's support for Ukraine since Moscow's offensive began, as well as the bloc's policy of isolating Russia.

Fico had already met with Putin in December 2024 to discuss gas supplies.