Fico after Moscow visit: Zelenskyy should call Putin himself

Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico, returning from his visit to Moscow, said Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy should phone Vladimir Putin himself if he is genuinely interested in a meeting.

Source: Fico on Facebook

According to the Slovak PM, during a face-to-face meeting in Armenia, Zelenskyy said he was ready to meet the Russian leader "in any format". Fico said he had relayed that message to the Russian side.

"I conveyed a message from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to the president of Russia. When we met in person in Armenia, he told me that he is prepared to meet Putin in any format. The answer is obvious: if the president of Ukraine is interested in a meeting, he should contact his Russian counterpart by phone," Fico said.

Separately, Fico welcomed a possible extension of the ceasefire, arguing it would create space for diplomatic efforts.

Background on Fico's Moscow trip

Sources close to Putin claim Fico did not pass on any messages from Zelenskyy during his conversation with the Kremlin leader, though the topic of Ukraine was raised.

Fico arrived in Moscow on 8 May and laid a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier near the Kremlin. He described himself as something of a "black sheep" within the EU.

Bratislava had said before the visit that Fico planned to deliver a "message" from Zelenskyy to the Kremlin leader and might receive "valuable information" from Putin on his view of efforts to end the war.

The Office of the President of Ukraine stated that during their meeting Zelenskyy told Fico Ukraine is ready for leader-level talks with Russia in a substantive format.