Russian President Vladimir Putin met Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico in the Kremlin on Sunday, Russian television host Pavel Zarubin said, as a deal to allow Russian gas transit through Ukraine nears its expiration date.
Slovakia depends on gas passing through Ukraine and Fico has criticized Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky for refusing to extend the deal, which expires at the end of the year.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, shown in a video posted to Zarubin’s account on the Telegram messaging app, is sure the discussions will focus on gas transit and the current international situation. He said the Kremlin meeting had been arranged “a few days ago”.
The Slovak government office could not immediately be reached for comment and did not immediately respond to emailed questions. Ukraine has repeatedly said it will not extend the transit agreement with Russia for nearly 34 months into the war between the neighbors.
Slovakia, which has a long-term contract with Russian giant Gazprom, is trying to get gas through Ukraine and says buying elsewhere would cost 220 million euros ($229 million) more in transit costs.
Fico pushed the issue at a European Union summit in Brussels on Thursday, which was also attended by Zelensky, who reiterated that his country would not continue transiting Russian gas.
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