Prime Minister Robert Fico’s surprise visit to Moscow on Sunday, reportedly to discuss natural gas and Ukraine, was a blow to European unity against Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

A protest took place in front of the Slovak government building in Bratislava on Monday in response to Prime Minister Robert Fico's trip to Moscow, where he met with Russian leader Vladimir Putin. Source: Slovak publication Aktuality,

Slovakia's Prime Minister Robert Fico has made a surprise visit to Moscow for talks with Vladimir Putin - becoming only the third Western leader to meet the Russian leader since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine three years ago.

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Fico ended military aid to Ukraine when he became prime minister again in October 2023, and like Hungarian counterpart Viktor Orban has called for peace talks.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Monday sharply criticized Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico for his visit to Russia. Zelensky accused Fico of having personal motives for the trip and of being dependent on Moscow.

Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavský criticized Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico for his visit to Moscow. Such a move is crawling "in front of a mass murderer", according to Sky News. The Czech Foreign Minister,

By bne Berlin bureau Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico made a surprise trip to Moscow on December 22 to hold rare face to face talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin, as he seeks to secure gas deliveries ahead of the end of the Ukrainiangas transit deal next week,

Prime Minister Robert Fico went to Moscow for a "working meeting" with President Vladimir Putin on Sunday, in which he said they discussed gas transit and the prospects of a "peaceful end" to war in Ukraine.