Vladimir Putin, the president of Russia, stated on Thursday that his country is open to Slovakia’s offer to organise peace talks with Ukraine in order to end a war that he claimed Russia was committed to resolving.
Fico, a vocal opponent of European Union military assistance for Ukraine, offered his country as a host for negotiations between Russia and Ukraine, according to Putin, who received Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico in the Kremlin last week.
Putin said they “would be happy to provide their own country as a platform for negotiations,” referring to Slovakian officials.
Slovakia is regarded as part of an expanding group of EU members from central and eastern Europe who are in favor of talks with Russia and skeptical of backing for Ukraine.
According to Slovak Foreign Minister Juraj Blanar, Putin’s remarks are a “positive signal” that the war will stop, since Slovakia has long aimed for a peaceful resolution.
Slovakia, which borders Ukraine, has been frequently criticized by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy for Fico’s amicable stance toward Russia since he returned to office following an election in 2023.
Putin has stated time and time again that although Russia is amenable to negotiations to resolve the crisis with Kyiv, it would still succeed in Ukraine.
Putin said on Thursday that Russia could use the new intermediate-range hypersonic ballistic missile known as Oreshnik again but was in no hurry to do so.
If necessary, Putin said, Russia could use more powerful intermediate-range weapons.
