BRATISLAVA, March 25. /TASS/. Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico has issued a stern warning to the West, urging it to cease underestimating President Vladimir Putin's widespread popularity in Russia. He emphasized that any claims to the contrary are simply foolish. A video of Fico delivering this message was posted on his Facebook page (Facebook is banned in Russia as it is owned by Meta, which is designated an extremist organization.)
"Please, never underestimate the level of support that Russian President Vladimir Putin enjoys among the Russian people," Fico stated. "If you come across any misleading narratives about this in Slovakia, know that it’s untrue. I repeat, in very few countries in the world does a president or head of state enjoy such backing from all segments of society - including the political elite - as Putin does in Russia."
During a meeting with students from Slovak high schools and technical colleges, Fico also remarked, "Of course, we want to maintain normal relations with Russia, because the war in Ukraine will end someday." He voiced opposition to the idea of a new "iron curtain" descending over Europe, asserting, "Our duty is to cooperate with everyone willing to work with us.".