Russian President Vladimir Putin used his meeting with Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico to advance a campaign aimed at undermining Western unity in support of Ukraine, reports the Institute for the Study of War (ISW).

Prime Minister Robert Fico’s surprise visit to Moscow on Sunday, reportedly to discuss natural gas and Ukraine, was a blow to European unity against Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy blasts Slovakia’s PM Robert Fico over reluctance to source alternatives to Russian gas. The Ukrainian leader’s fiery remarks come after Fico’s highly controversial visit to Moscow to on Sunday to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin.

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.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, in his evening address on Monday, 23 December, has once again criticised Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico, who on 22 December held talks with Vladimir Putin in the Kremlin regarding gas supplies.

"In a long conversation ... Putin and I exchanged views on the military situation in Ukraine, the possibilities of an early peaceful end to the war, and on mutual relations between the Slovak Republic and the Russian Federation,

The Slovak opposition party Freedom and Solidarity (SaS) has criticized Prime Minister Robert Fico's meeting with Russian dictator Vladimir Putin, calling the talks a betrayal of the country and its allies.

Russian President Vladimir Putin held talks in the Kremlin on Sunday with Slovakia’s prime minister, Robert Fico, in a rare visit to Moscow by an EU leader since the conflict between Russia and Ukraine began in 2022.

The situation with European countries that buy Russian gas is very complicated and requires increased attention, the Kremlin said on Monday after talks the previous day between President Vladimir Putin and Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico.

Slovakia’s prime minister, Robert Fico arrived in Russia on a “working visit” and met with Putin one-on-one on Sunday evening.

Slovakia's Prime Minister visits Moscow to ensure gas supply as the Ukraine-Russia gas transit deal nears expiration, defying the EU and highlighting the country's energy dependence on Russia.