Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico has proposed holding talks on a peaceful settlement of the war between Russia and Ukraine on the territory of his country, Vladimir Putin said.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said Thursday that Slovakia had offered to be a "platform" for possible peace talks between Russia and Ukraine, nearly three years since the launch of Moscow's offensive.

Russian President Vladimir Putin held talks in the Kremlin on Sunday with Slovakia’s prime minister, Robert Fico, in a rare visit to Moscow by an EU leader since the conflict between Russia and Ukraine began in 2022.

Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico will travel to Moscow next week to hold talks on gas supplies with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said on Dec. 20.

Despite the relatively high casualty rate, Zelensky added that North Korea might send even more resources to Russian dictator Vladimir Putin’s armies.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy on Monday blasted Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico over his reluctance to end his country's dependency on Russian gas, calling it a "big security issue" for Europe and saying Fico declined compensation.

Putin told a press conference that Slovakia's Prime Minister Robert Fico "said that if there are any negotiations, they would be happy to provide the country as a platform", and added that Russia was "not against it". bur/giv/rlp

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy blasts Slovakia’s PM Robert Fico over reluctance to source alternatives to Russian gas. The Ukrainian leader’s fiery remarks come after Fico’s highly controversial visit to Moscow to on Sunday to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The weakness, dependence, and short-sightedness of Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico's energy policy pose threats to the whole of Europe,” said Ukraine's foreign ministry.

Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico met with Russian President Vladimir Putin at the ... Fico becomes the third European leader to visit Russia since its invasion of Ukraine, following Austria’s Karl Nehammer and Hungary’s Viktor Orbán.

Ukraine has claimed to have struck a Russian industrial facility producing fuel for missiles, as Moscow says it has foiled several assassination plots on senior officers.Kyiv said on Thursday that its air force had had carried out a strike in Russia’s Rostov region on a factory which was used to produce solid fuel for ballistic missiles used in attacks on Ukraine.