Putin to Meet with Slovak Prime Minister fico in China,Raising Eyebrows in Brussels
Beijing,China - Russian President Vladimir Putin is scheduled to meet with Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico in China within the next few days,the Kremlin announced Sunday. The planned meeting is likely to exacerbate existing tensions between Bratislava and the European Union, as Fico stands as one of the few EU leaders continuing dialogue with Putin following Russia‘s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
while Kremlin foreign policy aide Yuri ushakov confirmed the meeting is “planned,” details regarding the agenda and precise timing remain scarce. Both leaders are currently in China for separate engagements: Fico is attending Wednesday’s parade in Beijing commemorating the end of World War II in Asia, while Putin is participating in a Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit in Tianjin and is expected to sit alongside Chinese President Xi Jinping at the Beijing event.
The upcoming talks come amidst growing concern within the EU
