In Beijing, Putin says he appreciates the “independence” of Slovakia
Beijing – “We greatly appreciate the independent foreign policy you are pursuing,” said the Russian president to the Slovak leader during a meeting in Beijing. He suggested that Slovakia cut energy supplies to Ukraine during this televised meeting.
Mr. Fico, for his part, estimated that the two countries were making “progress” and indicated that Slovakia, a member of the European Union, had “started issuing visas to Russian citizens.”
“We are in the Schengen area, it’s complicated but I see no reason why the normalization of our relations should not continue,” he added.
The European Commission had invited member countries on September 30, 2022, to be more restrictive in granting visas to Russians and in border controls. The issuance and revocation of visas are the competence of these states.
In August, Bratislava had asked the European Union to take action against the “repeated” attacks by Ukraine on energy infrastructure in Russia. (September 2, 2025)
