Zelenskyy invites Fico to Ukraine: What’s behind urgent talks
The discussions may cover oil transit, electricity supplies and bilateral ties.
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Robert Fico / © Associated Press
Ukraine has invited Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico to visit Kyiv on March 6 or 9 to address current bilateral issues, the Presidential Office said.
The offer came after a phone call between President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Fico. Kyiv says it expects constructive talks and is ready to discuss all outstanding matters in relations between the two countries.
What preceded this
In the broader context of relations between the two countries, Slovakia had earlier called for the immediate resumption of oil transit through Ukrainian territory. Bratislava also proposed involving European experts to assess the technical condition of the pipeline.
In addition, Prime Minister Robert Fico said emergency electricity supplies to Ukraine had been suspended. He linked the decision to the issue of restoring the transportation of Russian oil to Slovakia.
The Slovak government also voiced concerns over the safety of the Druzhba oil pipeline. Fico said the transport system was operating, but in his view there were risks it could face a situation similar to the incidents involving the Nord Stream gas pipelines.