Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday that Russia is open to a Slovak proposal to hold peace talks with Ukraine to end a conflict that he said Russia was determined to see through.
President Putin, who this week hosted the Slovak Prime Minister in the Kremlin, said that Robert Fico, an outspoken opponent of the European Union's support for Ukraine, had suggested to Moscow the possibility of hosting talks between Russia and Ukraine in his country.
The Russian president said that the Slovak authorities “...would be happy to offer their country as a platform for negotiations. We are not against it, if it comes to that. Why not? Since Slovakia maintains such a neutral position".
Slovakia is seen as part of a growing group of EU member states from Central and Eastern Europe who are skeptical of support for Ukraine and support negotiations with Russia.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has repeatedly criticized Slovakia, which borders Ukraine, for its Prime Minister Fico's friendly tone towards Russia since he returned to power after the 2023 elections.
President Putin has repeatedly said that Russia is open to talks to end the conflict with Kiev, but that it will nevertheless achieve its goals in Ukraine.
He said on Thursday that Russia may again use the new medium-range hypersonic ballistic missile known as the Oreshnik, but was in no rush to do so.
"We do not exclude the possibility of using it both today and tomorrow, if necessary," says President Putin.
If necessary, President Putin said, Russia can use more powerful medium-range weapons./Voice of America (A2 Televizion)
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