Slovakia has offered to host peace talks between Russia and Ukraine, Russia’s President Vladimir Putin has claimed.
On December 26, Putin described authorities in Slovakia’s capital Bratislava as being “happy to provide their own country as a platform for negotiations”, a possibility he seemed to be pleased with.
“We are not opposed, if it comes to that. Why not? Since Slovakia takes such a neutral position,” he was reported by Reuters as saying.
Slovak authorities have confirmed Putin’s claims, with foreign minister Juraj Blanár telling local media he approved of the Russian president’s response to the offer.
“We perceive the statement of the Russian president, who admitted that part of the peace negotiations could be held in Slovakia, as a positive signal for the earliest possible end to this war, bloodshed and destruction,” he said.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky had not responded to news of the offer at the time of writing. He had taken to social media a few days previously to decry Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico for meeting with Putin in Moscow, accusing Fico of “corruption”.
An opinion poll has shown for the first time since the start of the Ukraine war that a majority of Poles favour ending the conflict, even if that meant Kyiv having to cede territory to Russia or give up part of its independence. https://t.co/q3sp0d9Hts
— Brussels Signal (@brusselssignal) December 20, 2024
“We are fighting for our lives, Fico is fighting for money, and it’s unlikely that money is for Slovakia. Shadow agreements with Putin are either a trade of state interests or working for personal gain,” Zelensky said.
He went on to claim that Ukraine was willing to help Slovakia with “potential compensation” for the recent increase in its gas prices brought about by his country’s sanctions on Russia but alleged Fico had refused such an offer.
“Fico did not want compensation for the Slovaks. And he does not want to co-operate with the European Commission,” Zelensky said.
“For some reason, he finds Moscow more profitable.”
Zelensky’s comments came as he has been experiencing diplomatic difficulty concerning Ukraine’s defensive war effort.
Western leaders, including US President-elect Donald Trump and Germany’s outgoing Chancellor Olaf Scholz, have been pressuring Kyiv to work towards ending the conflict. That is despite significant swathes of its territory still being under Russian control.
Ukraine has insisted that any peace deal must be agreed from a position of strength. It said a failure to get an acceptable agreement would result in the war being resumed by Russia in the near future.
The EU is said to fear that US President-elect Donald Trump will force a deal with Russia that would not only be bad for Ukraine but also pose serious security problems for the continent. https://t.co/yTLqtI2FLO
— Brussels Signal (@brusselssignal) December 20, 2024
