Putin to meet Slovakian Prime Minister Fico in China

Sign up for our free weekly newsletter

Remind me next month

Russian President Vladimir Putin will meet Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico in China in the coming days, the Kremlin said Sunday, talks that will likely further strain tensions between Bratislava and Brussels.

Fico is one of the few EU leaders to have maintained regular contact with Putin since Russia began its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

Kremlin foreign policy aide Yuri Ushakov told

Fico is to travel to Beijing for Wednesday's parade marking the end of the Asian theater of World War II.

Putin is in the northern Chinese city of Tianjin for a Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit and is due to sit next to Chinese President Xi Jinping at the Beijing parade.

Fico has irked European leaders

Slovakia is heavily reliant on Russian gas.

In May, he defied Brussels

A Message from The Moscow Times:

Dear readers,

We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our

These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The

We, the

Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.