Public initiative "For peace in Ukraine" on Monday, December 23, is organizing a protest.
The first personal meeting since 2016 between Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico and Russian President Vladimir Putin caused a sharply negative reaction from opposition political forces and the public.
This was reported by the Slovak publication Aktuality.
A member of the presidium of the opposition party “Progressive Slovakia”, former head of Slovak diplomacy Ivan Korčok called Robert Fico's trip a betrayal and a turning point in Slovak foreign policy.
“After the fiasco in Brussels at the EU summit, when no one in the European Union supported him with a request to maintain gas transit through Ukraine, the prime minister went to stand next to the Russian president. This is a betrayal of allies and Slovakia, this is a turning point in our foreign policy, for which the prime minister has no authority,” Korčok summed up.
According to the president of the Freedom and Solidarity party Bronislav Gröling, Robert Fico is a “regular collaborator.” He said that with such a visit, the Slovak prime minister is driving the country into international isolation.
“We are sending a message to Vladimir Putin and all servile pro-Russian politicians that Robert Fico does not speak on behalf of the entire nation,” he said. he.
Earlier, the leader of “Progressive Slovakia” Michal Šimečka called the trip a disgrace for Slovakia and a betrayal of national interests.
“If the prime minister was really interested in gas transit, he should have negotiated with the Ukrainian side, and not made Slovakia an instrument of Russian propaganda,” he said.
The public initiative “For Peace in Ukraine” announced that on Monday, December 23, it will organize a protest against Fico's visit. It will take place at noon on Freedom Square opposite the government building.
“Abusing the issue of gas transit against Ukraine and Europe for cooperation with Russia is unacceptable,” the initiative's social network says.
Recall that after talks with Putin, Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico said that his meeting with the Kremlin boss was a response to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's statement about ending “any gas transit” through Ukraine and sanctions against the Russian nuclear program.
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