Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico emphasized the desire to establish relations between Slovakia and the Russian Federation during a meeting with Vladimir Putin in China, aiming to continue the import of natural gas.
This is reported by Finway
“I want to say openly that we are extremely interested in normalizing relations between the Slovak Republic and the Russian Federation.”
Slovakia and Hungary Maintain Cooperation with Russia
This statement contradicts the overall policy of the European Union, which has been consistently reducing purchases of Russian energy resources since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Despite being EU members, Slovakia and Hungary maintain political ties with Moscow, as Russia remains a key supplier of oil and gas for both countries.
The Importance of the “Turkish Stream” for Energy Security
During negotiations with Putin, Robert Fico expressed gratitude for the stable gas supplies through the “Turkish Stream” pipeline, which is currently the only route for Russian gas supplies to European countries. In 2025, Slovakia imported approximately 1.7 billion cubic meters of gas through Hungary, which has direct access to the “Turkish Stream.”
At the same time, in August, the volume of gas supplies by Gazprom through this route decreased by 2% compared to July, totaling 50.4 million cubic meters per day.