preložiť In an open letter, Fico invited Zelensky to Slovakia for talks. Fine, on Friday in Kiev, he told him
On Monday (13 January), Prime Minister Robert Fico addressed an open letter to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, in which he once again reacts to Ukraine's decision to stop gas transit through its territory. The latter reacted briefly.
According to Fico, this step causes significant damage to Slovakia, Ukraine and the European Union, while causing tensions in international relations.
"Your decision to stop the transit of gas through Ukraine towards Slovakia and other customers causes enormous damage to Ukraine itself, Slovakia and especially the European Union," the prime minister said in the letter.
He stressed that he intended to focus on resolving the situation, not on escalating tensions: "I do not intend to respond to your statement of Sunday 12 January 2025 because I do not intend to escalate tensions further."
Fico also criticised the Ukrainian leadership's strategy to continue the military conflict with Russia.
"I do not believe in the strategy that the continuation of mutual bloodshed in the war in Ukraine leads to a strengthening of Ukraine's position in possible peace negotiations," he wrote, expressing support for the peace plans and offering Slovakia as a venue for possible negotiations.
Reakcia Zelenského
The Ukrainian president responded to both the open letter and the prime minister's Facebook post with a short post on the social network X.
"Ok. Come to Kiev on Friday," the Ukrainian president responded briefly to the letter.
Call for dialogue and a solution to the energy crisis
In connection with the halt of gas transit, Fico recalled that Slovakia loses about 500 million euros annually. However, in his view, this is a broader problem: "The most decisive is the impact of your decision on the competitiveness of the European Union, the organisation you are applying for membership of."
The prime minister announced that he had already held talks with EU Energy Commissioner Dan Jørgensen, stressing the need for Ukraine's active participation in further negotiations.
In the letter, Fico invited Zelensky to a personal meeting that could take place in Slovakia. He suggested a location close to the state border and pointed to the symbolic possibility of using a direct train link between Kiev and Košice.
"Such a meeting will create good preconditions for an open discussion on gas supplies to Slovakia and other countries via Ukraine," he stressed.
Tensions after exchanges of criticism
The letter comes after Sunday's harsh words from President Zelensky to the Slovak prime minister. The Ukrainian leader described Fico's actions as a mistake and claimed that the prime minister had "arrogantly refused to help Ukraine before stopping transit".
Zelensky also criticised Fico's recent visit to Moscow, which he described as evidence of a bet on Russia instead of "a united Europe or common sense".
Fico had earlier said his trip to Moscow was aimed at addressing the planned halt in gas transit and protecting Slovakia's national interests. According to him, during the meeting with President Putin, a promise to continue gas supplies was obtained.
According to Fico, Ukraine's decision not to extend the Russian gas transit contract, which expired at the end of 2024, will cause significant financial losses for Slovakia and the EU. The prime minister estimated the burden on the European Union at 60 to 70 billion euros.
You can also see the full statement of the Prime Minister here: