Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said his talks with Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico focused on issues of fundamental importance to both nations.
Writing on X, Zelenskyy described the conversation as “substantive,” noting that he briefed Fico on his recent discussions with U.S. President Donald Trump and with leaders of the so-called “Coalition of the Willing” aimed at advancing peace and strengthening Europe’s security architecture. According to Zelenskyy, Slovakia will not remain on the sidelines.
“A separate and crucial topic was Europe’s energy independence. Russian oil, like Russian gas, has no future,” he stressed.
Zelenskyy also highlighted Slovakia’s support for Ukraine’s EU aspirations, calling it a significant step. He emphasized that both Ukraine and Moldova should continue moving toward EU membership together, while also deepening bilateral cooperation with Slovakia in economic, energy, and infrastructure projects. Such partnerships, he said, would strengthen both nations and the wider region.
The Ukrainian president underscored the importance of maintaining a continuous dialogue with Bratislava.
The issue of energy remains sensitive: Slovakia and Hungary still receive Russian oil via the Druzhba pipeline, which has been targeted by several Ukrainian strikes in recent months. The foreign ministers of both countries have lodged complaints with the European Commission over the attacks.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán even reportedly wrote a letter to Donald Trump regarding the pipeline strikes, to which Trump allegedly replied that he was “angry.”
Just days earlier, on September 4, Trump told European leaders that the continent must end its purchases of Russian oil, which he argued directly fuels Moscow’s war against Ukraine.
