If war ends I’ll restore relations with Russia, Slovakia’s Fico says

Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico has vowed to restore relations with Russia if the war in Ukraine ends during his term as leader.

“If the war ends during the [2023-2027] mandate of this government, I’ll do everything possible for the renewal of economic and standard relations with Russia,”  he said at a Thursday press conference on a new tax package, adding the conflict has no military solution.

The remarks come ahead of a joint meeting of the Slovak and Ukrainian governments on Monday, at which Bratislava wants to persuade Kyiv to remain a transit country for Russian gas.

Kyiv banned the transit of products from Russian energy company Lukoil across its borders over the summer, alarming Hungary and Slovakia, both of which receive Russian oil via a pipeline across Ukraine thanks to an opt-out from EU sanctions.

“We have an existential interest in maintaining transit routes for gas and oil through Ukraine,” Fico said, adding he sees no reason to buy gas and oil from alternative suppliers because it is “still the same Russian oil,” just with higher transit charges.

Fico also said that his government has been under “extreme pressure” from the European Commission to stop buying from Moscow.

Ukraine has recently given a green light to a new loophole that would see Lukoil sell its oil instead to Hungary’s MOL energy giant, which could then ship it through Ukraine to the EU.

Both countries are now pushing for a similar agreement for Russian gas when a transit contract expires at the end of this year.

Fico is known for his pro-Russian rhetoric. Back in January he claimed there was no war in Kyiv, prompting outrage from Ukraine. Over the summer he lamented not visiting Putin with Hungary’s Viktor Orbán — a trip that was widely condemned by EU capitals.