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Slovak PM to visit Moscow for talks with Putin, Serbian president says

"Robert Fico will travel to visit Putin as a European countries leader," Aleksandar Vucic said

Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico Mikhail Metzel/TASS

Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico

© Mikhail Metzel/TASS

BELGRADE, December 21. /TASS/. Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico plans to hold talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin on December 23 following Vladimir Zekensky’s refusal to prolong Russian gas transit via Ukraine, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said.

"As far I know from unofficial sources - and even though I’m saying ‘unofficial,’ it means that the information is rather accurate, Robert Fico will travel to visit Putin as a European countries leader. As you understand, it will draw a certain reason from other EU leaders, which makes it clear that the situation is getting increasingly difficult," the Tanjug news agency quoted Vucic as saying.

Fico said earlier that Zelensky’s decision not to prolong Russian gas transit through Ukraine would plunge Slovakia into a crisis. He stated that Bratislava was interested in purchasing cheap Russian gas and ensuring its transit to other European Union countries.

Russian gas transit via Ukraine is expected to stop on January 1, when a five-year contract will expire. The Kiev authorities said earlier that they did not plan to extend the contract.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said at his combined annual press conference and Q&A session on December 19 that there would definitely be no new contract for Russian gas transit via Ukraine but Moscow and the Gazprom gas giant would get over it.

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