(ANSA-AFP) - MOSCOW, DEC 23 - Russian President Vladimir
Putin held surprise talks with Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico
at the Kremlin on Sunday to discuss the future of Russian gas
deliveries. The two leaders also discussed the conflict in
Ukraine, just hours after Putin had warned of harsh reprisals
against Kyiv over a drone attack. Slovakia, which heavily relies
on Russian gas, has raised concerns about the prospect of losing
supplies as a contract allowing its transit through Ukraine
expires by year-end. Ukraine has made it clear it will not renew
a transit contract that expires on December 31. Fico is one of
the few European leaders Putin has stayed friendly with 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. Russian TV journalist Pavel Zarubin,
a Kremlin insider, posted a short video showing the two leaders
smiling and shaking hands. Later Sunday, Kremlin spokesman
Dmitri Peskov only confirmed that the meeting had ended, adding
that the two leaders would not make a joint statement.
(ANSA-AFP).
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