A group of far-right Slovak MPs departed for Moscow on Jan. 12 to hold talks with Russian government officials on the continuation of Russian gas supplies and other issues, the Slovak news agency TASR reported.
The visit comes weeks after Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico met with Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Kremlin on Dec. 22.
The delegation is led by Andrej Danko, the chair of the co-ruling far-right Slovak National Party (SNS) and current deputy speaker of parliament, and Tibor Gaspar, a member of Fico's Smer (Direction) party, TASR reported.
Danko, a Russian-friendly nationalist, said on Jan. 5 that the visit aims to "restore some relations with Russia."
Danko also claimed that Poland refused to allow the delegation's flight to enter their airspace, and that their plane had to be rerouted via Czechia and Germany.
"I don't understand Poland's position, but I take it as a reality," he said.
The Slovak delegates will reportedly meet with representatives from the Russian State Duma and other government officials. According to Gaspar, the group will ask whether Russia's state-owned energy company Gazprom can continue to supply gas to Slovakia despite Ukraine's decision to halt the transit of Russian gas through its territory.
The stoppage of Russian gas flows via Ukraine has heightened tensions between Kyiv and Bratislava. Fico, already critical of military aid to Ukraine and sanctions against Russia, threatened to cut energy and humanitarian support after the transit deal expired.
Despite the EU's attempts to wean itself off Russian fossil fuels in the wake of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, countries like Slovakia and Hungary remain heavily reliant on Russian gas.
The delegation is expected to return to Slovakia on Jan. 15.
Paula Erizanu
(Updated: )
