Fico said that Zelenskyy should ring Putin
Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico has stated that, during a private conversation, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy allegedly expressed his willingness to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin in any format.
Fico reported this on his Facebook page following a visit to Moscow.
According to the Slovak Prime Minister, he conveyed this message to the Russian side. Fico also relayed the response which, he claims, Putin gave.
“If the Ukrainian president is interested in a meeting, he should contact his Russian counterpart by telephone,” said Fico.
Separately, the Slovak Prime Minister welcomed the idea of extending the ceasefire. In his view, this could create space for diplomatic contacts and the negotiation process.
Earlier, Robert Fico had announced his intention to visit Moscow on 9 May during the Victory Day celebrations.
He subsequently reported that Latvia and Lithuania had refused to allow his plane to fly through their airspace. Estonia later joined in imposing the restrictions.
On 23 May, Fico stated that he would not take part in the military parade in Moscow. According to him, instead he plans to lay flowers at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.
Rostislav Hovanec, State Secretary at the Slovak Ministry of Foreign Affairs, had previously stated that Fico intended to deliver a message from Zelenskyy to Putin during his trip to Moscow.
