Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico told a press briefing in Slovakia on Tuesday, the 23rd of January, that life in the Ukrainian capital is “absolutely normal” and there is no war, despite the fact that just a few hours earlier several missiles were fired by Russia at Kyiv. Fico, who took office in October and changed Slovakia’s foreign policy by ending military aid to Ukraine, will meet Ukrainian Prime Minister Denis Shmyhal in the western Ukrainian city of Uzhhorod on Wednesday, reports Reuters.
Asked by a journalist whether he should go to Kyiv to better understand the ongoing war between Ukraine and Russia, Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico rejected the idea, saying the conflict was local.
“Do you seriously think there is a war in Kyiv?
You are joking, I hope you are not serious,” he said, inviting a journalist to visit the city and see for himself “a completely normal life” there, Reuters quoted him as saying on the day the city was hit by missiles.
Fico said the meeting in Uzhhorod was practical and had been chosen by the Ukrainian side after he had initially suggested meeting at the common border between the two countries.
On Tuesday, air strikes and alarms hit the morning calm in Kyiv,
with officials reporting that 22 people, including four children, were injured and several buildings damaged.
Since the start of the war, 967 air alerts have been issued in Kyiv, lasting a total of 1133 hours. During these alerts, the city’s transport is stopped, and passengers are asked to take shelter, with the metro and other underground areas used as bomb shelters.
President Volodymyr Zelensky said in his nightly address that on Tuesday Russian missiles in Kharkiv and Kiyv had killed 18 and injured more than 130 people, as well as damaged homes and infrastructure.
The rescue operation continues in the aftermath of another Russian attack on our cities and people. Russia carried out a deliberate act of terror against ordinary apartment buildings in Kyiv, Kharkiv, and Pavlohrad. Unfortunately, a number of people were reported injured or… pic.twitter.com/cJPvHfQTpR
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) January 23, 2024
Fico has in the past expressed his pro-Russian stance, for example by saying that Ukraine must give up territory to end the Russian invasion.
Despite the suspension of military aid to Ukraine, Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico has allowed supplies from arms and ammunition manufacturers to continue.
Fico has also said that Ukraine could receive EU funding and has expressed support for Ukraine’s EU membership bid but has promised to block its application to join the NATO alliance, reports Reuters.
Also read: EU lawmakers concerned about Slovakia’s criminal law reforms
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