Zelensky meets Fico ahead of Slovak leader's Moscow trip

Editor's note: The story has been updated with the latest details.

President Volodymyr Zelensky met Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico in Yerevan on May 4 to discuss bilateral cooperation and future mutual visits, Zelensky said.

"We discussed cooperation across various areas and holding a government meeting in the format of an intergovernmental commission in the near future," Zelensky commented on X.

"We also addressed Ukraine's EU membership. Importantly, Slovakia supports Ukraine's accession to the European Union and is ready to assist us on this path. I am grateful for that."

The two leaders met on the sidelines of the European Political Community summit in Armenia just days before Fico's planned visit to Moscow for the Victory Day celebrations on May 9.

Fico and Zelensky agreed that the Slovak and Ukrainian governments would hold talks "by the end of June... either in Bratislava or in Kyiv," the Slovak government said.

"We are neighbors, we must work on good relations," Fico commented. The topics of the upcoming negotiations would include the development of transport infrastructure.

Zelensky noted that the two "spoke about exchanging visits to Kyiv and Bratislava and agreed that our teams will work out the schedule."

Relations between Slovakia — an EU and NATO member — and its neighbor Ukraine have been tense since Fico assumed office in 2023.

The Slovak leader has repeatedly criticized military aid to Ukraine and sanctions against Russia, and has at times echoed Kremlin narratives on the war. He was the only EU leader to attend Moscow's Victory Day celebrations in 2025, despite criticism from other European officials.

Fico and his ally, Hungary's outgoing Prime Minister Viktor Orban, also clashed with Ukraine over the suspension of oil transit via the Druzhba pipeline, which funnels Russian crude to Hungary and Slovakia.

In recent weeks, there have been signs of improvement in relations between Ukraine and Slovakia. Bratislava lifted its veto on the 20th package of Russia sanctions following the resumption of Druzhba oil transit.

Zelensky and Fico also held a phone call on May 2, during which the Ukrainian president extended an invitation to Kyiv, while the Slovak prime minister reaffirmed his support for Ukraine's EU accession.

Fico also supported Kyiv's diplomatic position in peace negotiations with Moscow, saying that "no peace agreement in the military conflict with the Russian Federation is possible without the consent of the Ukrainian side."