By bne Berlin bureau Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico made a surprise trip to Moscow on December 22 to hold rare face to face talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin, as he seeks to secure gas deliveries ahead of the end of the Ukrainiangas transit deal next week,

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Monday sharply criticized Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico for his visit to Russia. Zelensky accused Fico of having personal motives for the trip and of being dependent on Moscow.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy believes that Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico's desire to do business with Russia is a security issue for both Slovakia and the whole of Europe. Source: Zelenskyy on X (Twitter),