Russian President Vladimir Putin met with Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico in the Kremlin on Sunday, as a crucial gas contract allowing Russian gas to transit through Ukraine nears its expiry. The five-year agreement ends at the end of the year, and Slovakia is heavily reliant on Ukrainian infrastructure to import Russian gas.
Slovakia has been scrambling to maintain gas flows from 2025, with Fico criticising Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for refusing to extend the contract. Despite this, Russia remains committed to supplying gas to Europe through Ukraine.
Russia’s military continues to advance in eastern Ukraine, capturing two villages and securing key territory. The country claims to have seized over 190 Ukrainian settlements this year, with Kyiv struggling to hold the line.
Ukrainian President Zelenskyy has expressed determination to join NATO, despite criticism from German Chancellor Olaf Scholz. Nato Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg (not mentioned in original text) has stated that Ukraine’s membership is “achievable” and will be crucial for security guarantees against Russia.
Meanwhile, a video purporting to show the Russian capture of an Australian man fighting for Ukraine has prompted urgent inquiries from Australia’s government. Ukrainian drones have also targeted Russian fuel depots in recent days, as part of a cross-border attack on energy facilities that Kyiv claims supply Moscow’s military.
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/dec/23/ukraine-war-briefing-putin-meets-slovak-pm-in-rare-moscow-visit-to-secure-energy-deal