Putin: Slovakia is prepared to offer a venue for negotiations regarding Ukraine.

Speaking about Slovakia, Putin referred to his recent talks in Moscow with the country's Prime Minister Robert Fico. The Russian president noted that Fico "primarily and chiefly spoke about a peaceful resolution regarding Ukraine."

According to Putin, Fico proposed to provide his country as a platform for such negotiations. "We have no objections if it comes to that. Slovakia, from our perspective, maintains a neutral stance, and this is an acceptable option for us," – added Vladimir Putin. He assured that he "aims to conclude the conflict in Ukraine," but clarified that Russia "will continue to achieve the goals of the special military operation by 2025." Moscow refers to the full-scale invasion of the Russian army into Ukraine, which has been ongoing since late February 2022, as the "special military operation."

The visit of Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico to Moscow took place on December 22. He stated that his visit to Putin was a response to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's remarks that Kyiv does not intend to extend the contract for the transit of Russian gas through Ukraine, which expires in 2024. Fico also noted that he and Putin "exchanged views on the military situation in Ukraine, the possibility of an early peaceful resolution to the war, and the relations between Slovakia and Russia."

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky sharply criticized the Slovak Prime Minister's trip to Moscow. Among other things, Zelensky stated that "Slovak law enforcement and special services" should take an interest in the visit. "Why is this leader so dependent on Moscow? What are they paying him, and what does he pay in return?" – Zelensky posed a rhetorical question, emphasizing that Fico's actions could jeopardize the security not only of Slovakia but of all of Europe.

Touching on the subject of Ukraine's accession to NATO, Putin asserted on Thursday that U.S. President Joe Biden had offered him in 2021 to postpone Ukraine's acceptance into the organization for 10–15 years due to "Kyiv's unpreparedness." "This is no secret," – said Putin in response to a question regarding what is being discussed in the forming team of elected U.S. President Donald Trump about the possibility of freezing the conflict under the condition of delaying Ukraine's entry into the North Atlantic alliance.

Elected U.S. President Trump stated in a major interview with NBC in December that he is "actively working" to bring an end to the war in Ukraine. Trump also suggested that after he takes office, Ukraine is unlikely to receive military aid from the U.S. at the same level as during Joe Biden's administration. Previously, Trump called for immediate peace talks between Russia and Ukraine, noting that both countries have lost hundreds of thousands of people in the conflict. Before his election victory, Trump promised to end the war in Ukraine, as he then said, "in 24 hours" and even before his inauguration in January, but did not provide any details.

According to sources from The Wall Street Journal, during a meeting in Paris on December 7, Donald Trump told the presidents of Ukraine and France that he does not support Ukraine's NATO membership but would like to see a strong and well-armed Ukraine after the cessation of hostilities.

On Thursday, December 26, Vladimir Putin also threatened to use more powerful medium-range weapons, including the "Oreshnik," in strikes against Ukraine if Russian authorities "see that such use is necessary." "But we are not in a hurry... I said that we currently have a limited number of 'Oreshnik' systems," – added Putin. At a press conference, he emphasized that Moscow always responds in kind to strikes from Kyiv. According to Putin, five to seven American ATACAMS missiles were used against Russian territory. "The Russian army responded with a comprehensive strike – 221 or 240 strikes," – said Putin.

• Fico, like Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who also traveled to Moscow, positions himself as a supporter of the immediate start of peace negotiations regarding Ukraine. He refrains from criticizing Moscow for its invasion of Ukraine and, on the contrary, criticizes Kyiv, accusing it of wanting to continue the war.
• The official invitation for Ukraine to join the North Atlantic alliance is the first point of the so-called "victory plan" of Vladimir Zelensky. For such an invitation to be sent, the consent of all 32 NATO countries is required. Commentators have expressed significant doubt that such consent can be obtained in the near future, pointing to the positions of countries such as Hungary, Slovakia, and Germany. The U.S. has also not announced any readiness to invite Ukraine to NATO right now.
• On November 21, Russian President Vladimir Putin stated that Russian military forces launched a missile strike on Dnipro, using the experimental ballistic missile system "Oreshnik." Putin emphasized that Russia took this step in response to the Ukrainian armed forces using Western long-range missiles. Later, Putin stated, among other things, that the targets of the "Oreshnik" could be "decision-making centers in Kyiv." He also expressed the opinion that in the case of mass use of missiles, the "Oreshnik's" "strike power would be comparable to that of nuclear weapons."