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Putin meets Slovak PM in surprise visit by Fico

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
23 Dec 2024 00:22

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitri Peskov revealed that the meeting had been arranged only "a few days ago," although specific details of the discussions were not disclosed.

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Russian President Vladimir Putin, foreground right, and Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico pose for a photo during their meeting at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia, Sunday, December 22, 2024. (AP)

Russian President Vladimir Putin met with Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico at the Kremlin on Sunday in a surprise visit, AFP reports.

The meeting, which had not been previously announced, came shortly after Putin issued a strong warning of retaliation against Ukraine following a drone attack on Kazan.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitri Peskov revealed that the meeting had been arranged only "a few days ago," although specific details of the discussions were not disclosed.

"It can be presumed" that Russian gas supplies were on the agenda, Peskov suggested. Slovakia, a member of NATO and the European Union is one of the few European countries still maintaining friendly ties with Moscow since the outbreak of the Ukraine war.

Fico, who ended military aid to Ukraine after assuming office in October 2023, has previously called for peace talks and aligned his stance with Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orban.

In November, he announced plans to visit Moscow in May to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II.

7 months ago, globalists tried to assassinate Roberto Fico, PM of Slovakia.

At some point, Zelensky offered Fico $500 million of bribe for a Yes vote on Ukraine to join NATO. Fico refused.

Today, Fico was in Moscow, meeting with President Putin.

pic.twitter.com/a8Q1X4zXr5
— S.L. Kanthan (@Kanthan2030) December 22, 2024

Vow to retaliate

Meanwhile, tensions between Russia and Ukraine have intensified. Earlier Sunday, Putin vowed to escalate actions against Ukraine in response to the Kazan drone attack.

"Whoever, and however much they try to destroy, they will face many times more destruction themselves and will regret what they are trying to do in our country," Putin said during a televised meeting.

The attack, which targeted a high-rise building, caused no casualties but marked an escalation in the nearly three-year conflict.

Territorial gains

Russia has also claimed new advances in eastern Ukraine, with the defense ministry reporting the capture of Lozova in Kharkiv and Krasnoye in Donetsk.

These gains are part of Moscow's broader strategy to consolidate territory before US President-elect Donald Trump takes office, with Trump pledging to end the conflict without detailing how.