KYIV: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Monday accused Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico of wanting to "help" President Vladimir Putin by continuing to import Russian gas. Zelensky said EU leaders had observed that Fico, who visited Moscow on Sunday, opposes reducing energy dependence on Russia "implying that he wants to help Putin earn money to fund the war and weaken Europe". "We believe that such assistance to Putin is immoral," he wrote on X. Slovakia relies heavily on Russian gas and has raised concerns about the prospect of losing supplies as a contract for gas transit through Ukraine expires on December 31. Ukraine has made it clear it will not renew the contract with Russia. "This is a very difficult situation which requires increased attention," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Monday.
Fico is one of the few European leaders Putin has stayed friendly with Moscow since the 2022 eruption of hostilities with Ukraine. The visit by Fico, whose country is a Nato and European Union member, had not been previously announced. In a statement posted on his Facebook account after the talks, Fico said Sunday's meeting was "in response to" Zelensky opposing any "transit of gas through Ukraine to our territory". Fico said Putin had confirmed Russia's "readiness... to continue to supply gas to the West and to Slovakia, which is practically impossible after 1 January 2025", but did not elaborate. Both leaders also exchanged views on the conflict in Ukraine, and "the possibility of an early peaceful end" to it, he said.
Fico blamed Kyiv for being "in favour of sanctions" against Russia's nuclear programme. He said that was "harming Slovakia financially and threatening the production of electricity in nuclear power plants" in the country. Fico ended military aid to Ukraine when he became prime minister again in October 2023. Like Hungarian counterpart Viktor Orban, he has called for peace talks.
Meanwhile, Russia on Monday said it had captured the village of Storozheve in eastern Ukraine, near the town of Velyka Novosilka which its troops are apparently trying to encircle. "As a result of decisive action by troop units... the settlement of Storozhevoye has been liberated," the defence ministry said in a statement, using the Russian name of the village. Russia has been advancing steadily in the Donetsk region where Storozheve is located, against outgunned and outmanned Ukrainian forces. Storozheve and Velyka Novosilka are close to the southern front line, which has remained largely static but where Ukraine says Russia is planning a fresh offensive. Russia is looking to secure as much territory as possible before US president-elect Donald Trump comes to power in January. The Republican has promised to bring a swift end to the nearly three-year conflict, without proposing any concrete terms for a ceasefire or peace deal. Moscow's army claims to have seized more than 190 Ukrainian settlements this year, with Kyiv struggling to hold the line in the face of manpower and ammunition shortages. — AFP
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