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 suggested offering his country's platform for such negotiations. "We are not opposed if it comes to that. Slovakia, from our perspective, holds a neutral position, which is an acceptable option for us," – added Vladimir Putin. He assured that he "strives for the conflict in Ukraine to be resolved," but noted that Russia "will continue to achieve the goals of the SVO by 2025." The term "SVO" is what Moscow calls the full-scale invasion of the Russian army into Ukraine, which has been ongoing since late February 2022.

The visit of Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico to Moscow took place on December 22. He stated that his trip 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 mentioned that he and Putin "exchanged views on the military situation in Ukraine, the possibilities for a prompt peaceful resolution of 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 agencies and special services" should take an interest in the visit. "Why is this leader so dependent on Moscow? What are they paying him with, and what does he pay in return?" – Zelensky rhetorically asked, noting that Fico's actions could jeopardize the security not only of Slovakia but of all Europe.

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

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

According to sources from The Wall Street Journal, at 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 "Oreshnik," in strikes against Ukraine if Russian authorities "see that such use is required." "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 ATACMS 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 visited Moscow, presents himself as a supporter of an immediate start to peace negotiations in 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 what is called Volodymyr Zelensky's "victory plan." 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 like Hungary, Slovakia, and Germany. The U.S. has also not stated that it is ready 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 use of western long-range missiles by the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Later, Putin stated, among other things, that the targets of the "Oreshnik" could include "decision-making centers in Kyiv." He also expressed the opinion that in the case of massive use of "Oreshnik" missiles, "the power of the strike would be comparable to the use of nuclear weapons."