The News
Slovakian President Robert Fico met his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin in an unexpected — and controversial — trip to Moscow.
It’s the first meeting between Putin and a European Union leader since Hungary’s Viktor Orban last summer, which also drew criticism from other EU countries.
The two discussed resuming Russia’s gas supply to Slovakia: The pipeline goes through Ukraine, and Kyiv has said that a deal to allow flow despite the war will not be renewed.
The meeting reveals two of Ukraine’s key weaknesses: One, that much of Europe still has its eye on Russia’s energy exports; and two, that some EU leaders, who hold vetoes on some EU policies, are sympathetic to Putin.
AD