MORNING NEWS HIGHLIGHTS - Tuesday, December 24, 2024 - 9 a.m.

TASR brings a quick morning overview of the most important events seen in Slovakia on the previous day (Monday, December 23): BRATISLAVA - Premier Robert Fico (Smer-SD) had a working meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow on Sunday (December 22) to discuss the military situation in Ukraine, the possibilities of a peaceful solution to the war, as well as bilateral relations between Slovakia and Russia, which he said he wants to standardise. Fico has posted on a social network that he has been pursuing a sovereign policy in all four cardinal directions and that he informed the EU's top officials about his trip on Friday (December 20). He wrote that his meeting with the Russian president was a reaction to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy saying that he is against the gas transit to the Slovak territory via Ukraine. "The Ukrainian president also supports sanctions against the Russian nuclear programme. With attitudes like this he financially harms Slovakia and threatens the production of electricity in nuclear power facilities in Slovakia, which is unacceptable," wrote the premier. According to Fico, Putin confirmed that Russia is still ready to supply gas to the West and to Slovakia, but this is "practically impossible given the Ukrainian president's attitude after January 1, 2025". BRATISLAVA - President Peter Pellegrini expects more information from Premier Robert Fico (Smer-SD) about the results of his talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin, the President's Office informed TASR on Monday. The president believes that the visit to Moscow was not just a politically self-serving step that can significantly harm Slovakia in the eyes of the European Union (EU) and NATO. "It's the premier's indisputable duty to defend the national interests of Slovakia, including the oil and gas supplies for the needs of Slovakia and its partners through the pipeline going via Ukraine, as well as the nuclear fuel supplies," stated Pellegrini. On the other hand, however, talks with the Russian president during the war against Ukraine have an extremely strong foreign-political dimension with regard to Slovakia's EU and NATO memberships, he said. BRATISLAVA - The Peace to Ukraine NGO has filed a motion to the Prosecutor General's (PG) Office to examine the long-term actions by Premier Robert Fico (Smer-SD) in connection with his attitude towards Russia, NGO's representatives said at a protest against the premier's trip to Moscow and his meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Sunday (December 22). The NGO stressed that the premier has been legitimising Putin, for whom an international warrant has been issued, for a long time. At the same time, Slovakia is considered an enemy country by the Russian Federation, so Fico met the enemy, stated the NGO. Hundreds of people gathered in front of the Government Office in Bratislava on Monday in protest against Fico's visit to Moscow. BRATISLAVA - The Freedom and Solidarity (SaS) party will propose to its colleagues in the opposition to jointly initiate a special House session with no-confidence in Robert Fico's (Smer-SD) government on the agenda in reaction to Fico's meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, which is viewed by SaS as treason. SaS reiterated that Fico doesn't behave like a premier of a sovereign country, but as a collaborator, throwing Slovakia into international isolation. "We can legitimately ask how our partners in the EU and NATO will approach us. Fico in Moscow serves Russian propaganda and shames us. That's why we'll propose to our opposition colleagues that we immediately after the New Year initiate a special House session with a sole issue on the agenda, namely the no-confidence motion in the government of Robert Fico," said SaS leader Branislav Groehling. The party refuses to pretend that Fico is representing the citizens of Slovakia at meetings with Putin. "No, he isn't - a war criminal shouldn't be negotiated with. Fico's government must fall," said Groehling. KIEV/BRATISLAVA - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy criticised Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico on Monday, writing in his post on X, released also in Slovak, that Robert Fico (Smer-SD) "wants to assist Russia in pushing the American gas and energy resources of other partners away from Europe", which implies that Fico "wants to help Putin earn money to fund the war and weaken Europe", TASR learnt on the same day. The conflict between the Slovak and the Ukrainian leaders intensified last week at a session of the European Council, as Fico announced that he failed to see eye-to-eye with Zelenskyy on five issues of consequence, including Ukrainian's NATO membership and the transit of the Russian gas. "Moscow provides significant discounts to Fico, but Slovakia pays for them," posted Zelenskyy. "Such discounts are not free—payments to Russia are made through sovereignty or murky schemes. This should be a matter of concern for Slovakia's law enforcement and special services. BRATISLAVA - The Defence Ministry has signed a contract for the purchase of 12 Black Hawk helicopters for €150 million, according to the contract published by the ministry in the central register. The helicopters will be supplied to the ministry by the US company of ACE Aeronautics. The ministry hasn't published the schedule of payments and deliveries, which is attached to the contract. In line with the contract, the helicopters should be delivered to Presov, where the 51st Helicopter Wing is based. ko