The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry accused Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico of posing a threat to Europe through his ties with Russian President Vladimir Putin, in a statement issued on Dec. 23. The criticism followed Fico's meeting with Putin in Moscow on Dec.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has held talks in the Kremlin with Slovakia’s prime minister, Robert Fico, in a rare visit to Moscow by an EU leader since Russia’s all-out invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

Fico’s views on Russia’s war on Ukraine differ sharply from most other European leaders. Slovakia's prime minister returned to power last year after his leftist party won parliamentary elections on a pro-Russia and anti-American platform.