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Slovak PM says EU should piggyback on Chinese-Brazilian peace proposal on Ukraine

According to Robert Fico, the Kiev authorities maintain a hardline stance on this issue

BRUSSELS, December 20. /TASS/. The European Union should work with China and Brazil to resolve the conflict in Ukraine, Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico told reporters following an EU summit.

"It’s crucial for the peace project that the EU closely cooperates with the countries that have developed a clear solution for resolving the conflict peacefully. These are China and Brazil. I spoke about the Brazil-China peace plan [at the summit], and I also spoke about the Friends of Peace group within the UN. The reaction was the following: the one who supports peace is the aggressor’s friend and the one who is close to China and Brazil, backs Russia. Put simply, we [at the European Council] have different views on peace initiatives," the premier noted.

According to Fico, the Kiev authorities maintain a hardline stance on this issue. "I must say frankly that Zelensky absolutely rejects a ceasefire. He firmly believes that first, he must get everything he is asking for and only after that will he talk about a ceasefire," the Slovak prime minister said. He also reminded about the "enormous loss of human life" the conflict was causing.

Fico stressed with regret that apart from Vladimir Zelensky, "most of the European Council" was also unwilling to make peace. "Everyone is waiting for a miracle to happen after the new US president comes to power," he said. Fico emphasized that the Slovak government insisted on an immediate end to the conflict.

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