Russia is open to Slovakia's proposal to host peace talks to end a conflict with Ukraine, Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday, adding that Russia was determined to reach a conclusion.
Putin, who hosted Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico in the Kremlin this week, said Fico, an outspoken opponent of EU support for Ukraine, had offered his country to host talks between Russia and Ukraine.
Putin said Slovakian officials “…would be happy to provide their country as a platform for negotiations. If it comes to that, we are not against it. Why not? Since Slovakia is such a non-governmental organization.” Takes a biased position.
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Slovakia is seen as part of a growing camp of central and eastern EU member states skeptical of supporting Ukraine and favoring dialogue with Russia.
Since Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyi has repeatedly criticized Slovakia, which borders Ukraine, Fico has taken a friendly tone toward Russia since returning to power after elections in 2023.
Putin has repeatedly said that Russia is ready to negotiate an end to the conflict with Kiev, but that he will still pursue his goals in Ukraine.
Putin said on Thursday that Russia could re-deploy a new intermediate-range hypersonic ballistic missile, called the Oryshank, but that he was in no rush to do so.
“We do not exclude the possibility of using it both today and tomorrow, if necessary,” Putin said.
Putin said Russia could use more powerful medium-range missiles if necessary.