Prime Minister of EU Member State Commits to Rebuilding Ties with Russia
Slovakia’s Robert Fico has emphasized the interdependence between the EU and Moscow. Read Full Article at RT.com.
TroibNews 
Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico has pledged to make every effort to mend ties with Moscow once the conflict between Russia and Ukraine concludes.
Since his return to power last year, Fico has halted arms supplies from Bratislava to Kyiv and has consistently advocated for a diplomatic resolution to the war. In May, the 60-year-old prime minister survived an assassination attempt by a pro-Ukrainian activist who fired multiple shots at him. Despite sustaining serious injuries, he recovered and returned to work within two months.
"If the war ends during the mandate of this government, I will do everything to restore economic and standard relations with Russia,” Fico declared during a press conference on Thursday. His administration is expected to govern until 2027.
He elaborated that this approach is necessary because “the EU needs Russia, and Russia needs the EU, of course.”
At the same time, Fico indicated that Slovakia would also “care very much about friendly relations with Ukraine.” His comments come ahead of an upcoming meeting between Slovak and Ukrainian officials next week.
Fico reiterated his belief that a military resolution to the conflict between Russia and Ukraine is unattainable.
"It is proven by the words of many politicians, who are already talking about compromises, that Ukraine should prepare for some sort of compromise,” he observed.
The prime minister pointed to Czech Republic President Petr Pavel as one of those politicians.
Pavel, who previously was a strong advocate for Ukraine and called for increased Western military support for Kyiv, stated in an interview with the New York Times last month that “the most probable outcome of the war will be that a part of Ukrainian territory will be under Russian occupation, temporarily.” He also mentioned that Ukraine should be “realistic about the support that they can achieve” from its international allies.
In June, Russian President Vladimir Putin remarked that the current tensions between Moscow and the EU could have been resolved if the bloc's leaders had “felt more confident and had more courage to defend their national interests.”
A month later, Putin characterized the state of Russo-EU relations as being “at its lowest point.”
Anna Muller contributed to this report for TROIB News
Since his return to power last year, Fico has halted arms supplies from Bratislava to Kyiv and has consistently advocated for a diplomatic resolution to the war. In May, the 60-year-old prime minister survived an assassination attempt by a pro-Ukrainian activist who fired multiple shots at him. Despite sustaining serious injuries, he recovered and returned to work within two months.
"If the war ends during the mandate of this government, I will do everything to restore economic and standard relations with Russia,” Fico declared during a press conference on Thursday. His administration is expected to govern until 2027.
He elaborated that this approach is necessary because “the EU needs Russia, and Russia needs the EU, of course.”
At the same time, Fico indicated that Slovakia would also “care very much about friendly relations with Ukraine.” His comments come ahead of an upcoming meeting between Slovak and Ukrainian officials next week.
Fico reiterated his belief that a military resolution to the conflict between Russia and Ukraine is unattainable.
"It is proven by the words of many politicians, who are already talking about compromises, that Ukraine should prepare for some sort of compromise,” he observed.
The prime minister pointed to Czech Republic President Petr Pavel as one of those politicians.
Pavel, who previously was a strong advocate for Ukraine and called for increased Western military support for Kyiv, stated in an interview with the New York Times last month that “the most probable outcome of the war will be that a part of Ukrainian territory will be under Russian occupation, temporarily.” He also mentioned that Ukraine should be “realistic about the support that they can achieve” from its international allies.
In June, Russian President Vladimir Putin remarked that the current tensions between Moscow and the EU could have been resolved if the bloc's leaders had “felt more confident and had more courage to defend their national interests.”
A month later, Putin characterized the state of Russo-EU relations as being “at its lowest point.”
Anna Muller contributed to this report for TROIB News
