Putin says Slovakia could host peace talks with Ukraine

27/12/2024 6:07

Russian President Vladimir

Putin said on Thursday that Russia is open to a Slovakian

proposal to host peace talks with Ukraine to end a conflict he

said Russia was determined to bring to a conclusion.



Putin, who this week hosted Slovakian Prime Minister

Robert Fico in the Kremlin, said that Fico, an outspoken

opponent of European Union support for Ukraine, had offered his

country as to host talks between Russia and Ukraine.



Putin said the Slovakian authorities "...would be happy

to provide their own country as a platform for negotiations. We

are not opposed, if it comes to that. Why not? Since Slovakia

takes such a neutral position."



Slovakia is seen as one of a growing camp of central and

eastern European EU member states that are sceptical of support

for Ukraine, and supportive of negotiations with Russia.



Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has repeatedly

criticised Slovakia, which borders Ukraine, for the friendly

tone Fico has struck towards Russia since his return to power

after an election in 2023.



Putin has repeatedly said that Russia is open to talks

to end the conflict with Kyiv, but that it would nevertheless

achieve its goals in Ukraine.



Putin said on Thursday that Russia could use the new

intermediate-range hypersonic ballistic missile known as

Oreshnik again but was in no hurry to do so.



"We do not exclude the possibility of using it both today

and tomorrow, if necessary," Putin said.



If necessary, Putin said, Russia could use more powerful

intermediate-range weapons.