Fico has already met with Russian President Vladimir Putin. At the beginning of the meeting, Fico asked Putin"a slightly uncomfortable question. How are you?" "If I'm alive, then fine," Putin replied.

According to Russian state news agency TASS, Fico first thanked Putin for the hospitality shown by Russia during the visit of the Slovak delegation to a military parade in Moscow in May. The Slovak prime minister also stated that Slovakia is reacting very harshly to attacks by Ukrainian armed forces on oil pipelines.

The Slovak Prime Minister further admitted that he would be criticized for meeting with Putin, but said he was ready to use it to deliver a message from Russia to the European Union. At the meeting with the Russian leader, Fico declared that Ukraine's membership in NATO was unacceptable.

Europe's claims about Russia's alleged plans to attack it are a provocation or a manifestation of complete incompetence, Putin stressed in response to Fico's words."The Russian Federation has long tolerated attacks by the Ukrainian armed forces on its energy facilities, but now it has begun to respond seriously," he added.

This was a reaction to Fico's claims that"today we in the EU are like a frog at the bottom of a well and we think that the sky is only as big as we see it from the bottom. However, the world is different."

The entire debate between Fico and Putin

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"The Russian Federation has never objected to Ukraine's membership in the European Union, but membership in NATO is a different issue," Putin said. The Kremlin chief added that"Slovakia, as we know, is a member of the European Union and NATO. Of course, you can criticize them today. I don't want to put you in an ambiguous situation. I don't want to compare them (Europe and NATO) to reptiles, to animals, or to authors of fairy tales. They are more like authors of horror stories."

Putin also admitted the possibility of cooperation with the United States on nuclear power facilities in Slovakia. He added that Russia is ready to cooperate with the United States and Ukraine on the Zaporozhye Nuclear Power Plant.

According to information from the RBK portal, Putin stated during the meeting that Russia remains a reliable supplier of energy raw materials to Slovakia. He also emphasized that Russia values Slovakia's independent foreign policy.

Prime Minister Fico was welcomed with ribbons in Beijing, and received a bouquet from a girl

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"We greatly appreciate the independent foreign policy that you and your team, your government, are pursuing. This policy is bringing positive results. First of all, of course, I mean economic indicators."

The Russian president also expressed hope that trade cooperation between Bratislava and Moscow would continue."Some of your companies continue to operate successfully on the Russian market, which, in my opinion, is also beneficial for the Slovak economy as a whole," the Russian president noted. He also emphasized that Moscow"remains a reliable supplier of energy resources."

Slovakia will vote against the adoption of the European Commission's Repower EU plan, which envisages the end of the use of fossil fuels from the Russian Federation by 2027, Fico announced.

Fico will also meet with Zelensky

Fico also told Putin that he has a meeting scheduled for Friday with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Among other things, he wants to tell the Ukrainian president to stop bombing energy infrastructure."I will raise this issue very seriously. It is simply not possible to attack infrastructure that is so important for Slovakia in this way," Fico said.

Their meeting is to take place in the city of Uzhhorod, near the Slovak border, the prime minister said in a speech to the media.

On Wednesday, September 3, he will also honor the victims of World War II and lay a wreath at the Heroes' Monument in Tiananmen Square in Beijing.

"Robert Fico will not only remember the victims of the military conflict during World War II in China, but will also use the visit to confirm joint economic projects and intentions," the article states.

"On Thursday, September 4, Robert Fico will hold talks with President of the People's Republic of China Xi Jinping, as well as with Chinese Vice President Han Zheng," the post adds.

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Kim arrived by train.

A train believed to be carrying North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has arrived in Beijing. Kim will attend a military parade during his visit to China, Yonhap news agency reported, marking his first time attending a multilateral diplomatic event.

The train arrived near a Beijing railway station at around 4:00 p.m. local time (10:00 a.m. CEST), almost a day after leaving Pyongyang. The leader was accompanied by North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui and other officials.

SEOUL ( @CNN ) — Kim Jong Un's armored train is spotted just after 5pm KST as it approaches Beijing.

Kim will share the stage for the 1st time with Xi Jinping & Vladimir Putin at tomorrow's Victory Day military parade. pic.twitter.com/pjDAlVViYL

— Mike Valerio (@ValerioCNN) September 2, 2025

Kim will stand"side by side" with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin at a military parade on Wednesday, South Korea's NIS said, and is also expected to meet with both leaders separately.

Yonhap notes that this is Kim's fifth visit to China since taking power in late 2011.