Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico alleged that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky proposed offering him €500 million from frozen Russian assets in exchange for Slovakia’s support of Ukraine’s NATO membership. This was reported by Politico.
Fico was among those advocating at the EU summit for extending the agreement on Russian gas transit through Ukraine. Zelensky criticized Slovakia, remarking: “It’s somewhat shameful to talk about money when we are losing people.”
Later, Fico described Zelensky’s alleged proposals behind closed doors as “absurd,” further suggesting that Ukraine is emboldened to harm the economy of an EU member state.
Fico claimed that after he informed Zelensky that Slovakia could lose around €500 million annually due to gas transit fees, the Ukrainian president allegedly asked, “Would you then vote for Ukraine’s NATO membership if I give you €500 million from Russian assets?” Fico reportedly responded, “Never.”
At the time of publication, Politico had not received a response from Ukrainian officials to confirm whether Zelensky made such a proposal.
