(Reuters) – Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico said on Friday his country wanted to develop relations with Russia, and he derided European Union detractors who created obstacles to his attendance at World War Two commemorations in Moscow.
Fico broke ranks with the EU by visiting Moscow late last year, more than two years after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
He met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in the Kremlin late on Friday evening following the Red Square parade marking the 80th anniversary of the victory over Nazi Germany.
China’s Xi Jinping was among several dozen leaders at the commemorations, but nearly all Western leaders stayed away.
Fico arrived after a circuitous journey made necessary by EU members’ barring his aircraft from their airspace.
“As a head of government, I want to assure you that it is in my interest to have pragmatic relations with the Russian Federation,” Russian news agencies quoted Fico as telling Putin.
He said he opposed the creation of any new “iron curtain and pledge to do everything so that we can shake hands across a curtain”.
“Let us consider as a childish joke all the technical problems we confronted, created by our European Union colleagues.”
Putin said Russia appreciated Fico’s decision to attend despite the “logistical obstacles that were created. But you are nonetheless here.”
Kaja Kallas, the EU’s top diplomat, had criticised Fico’s attendance at the Moscow ceremonies. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said attending the victory parade and “applauding President Putin…brings shame to everyone who is there.”
In a response to Kallas’ comments on Facebook, Fico said he was paying tribute to Soviet Red Army soldiers who had liberated Slovakia in the war. Kallas had no right to criticise him, Fico said, as it was normal to hold a dialogue with other leaders.
Fico also told Putin he was prepared to use a national veto to oppose plans by the 27-nation EU to phase out Russian energy purchases.
Slovakia and Hungary had earlier voiced opposition to the plan. Fico described the proposal as “simply economic suicide”.
(Reporting by Reuters; Editing by Leslie Adler)
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