Fico spoke about his face-to-face meeting with Zelenskyy

Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico, following a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on the sidelines of the EU leaders’ summit, acknowledged that he and the Ukrainian leader held diametrically opposed positions but expressed a desire to continue the bilateral dialogue. 

The politicians held private talks in Brussels on June 18, where the key topics were Ukraine’s European integration, the outcomes of the G7 summit, and mutually beneficial energy cooperation. The Slovak prime minister anticipates another brief conversation with the Ukrainian president in Gdańsk on the sidelines of the International Conference on Ukraine’s Recovery.

Robert Fico emphasized that he considers it his duty to maintain communication even with those leaders whose views differ radically from his own. According to the prime minister, Bratislava is interested in a stable and democratic Ukraine, as Slovakia directly needs such a neighbor for its further regional development. Currently, the Slovak side’s primary practical interest is coordinating the dates and venue for the next joint meeting of the two countries’ governments, regarding which active discussions are ongoing at the ministerial level.

European Pravda reported this, citing a statement by the Slovak official.

Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico stated that during the European Council summit, he plans to propose the creation of a direct communication channel between Ukraine and Russia.

Fico called on the EU to engage in dialogue with Russia following the drone strike on Romania.