In a rare visit to Moscow by an EU leader since Russia’s all-out invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Russian President Vladimir Putin held talks in the Kremlin on Sunday with Slovakia’s prime minister, Robert Fico as a contract allowing for Russian gas to transit through Ukraine nears its expiry date.
Fico arrived in Russia on a “working visit” and met with Putin one-on-one on Sunday evening, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told Russia’s RIA agency. According to Peskov, the talks would focus on “the international situation” and Russian natural gas deliveries.
Ukraine has repeatedly said it would not extend the transit deal with Russia nearly 34 months into a war between the neighbours.
Slovakia, which has a long-term contract with Russian giant Gazprom, has been trying to keep receiving gas through Ukraine, saying buying elsewhere would cost it 220 million euros ($229 million) more in transit expenses.
Fico pushed the subject on Thursday at a European Union summit in Brussels, which was also attended by Zelenskiy, who reiterated that his country would not continue the transit of Russian gas.
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