What did Putin explicitly promise Fico regarding Slovakia's energy supply during their Kremlin meeting?

Putin explicitly promised Fico that 'Russia will do everything to meet Slovakia's energy demand' and stated, 'We will do everything to satisfy Slovakia's needs in energy resources,' as reported in the news body.

Why does Slovakia continue to rely on Russian oil and gas, according to the article?

According to the article, Slovakia continues to rely on Russian oil and gas because it has built its infrastructure around those supplies, and it argues that weaning itself off them would be too costly; it is one of only a few European countries still buying Russia's oil and gas, receiving oil via the Soviet-built Druzhba pipeline and natural gas via the TurkStream pipeline.

Putin Tells Fico: Russia Will Meet Slovakia's Energy Demand

May 9, 2026

President Putin assured Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico that Russia will fulfill Slovakia's energy needs, continuing oil and gas supplies via existing pipelines despite broader EU tensions.

reuters

2026-05-09

Putin Tells Fico: Russia Will Meet Slovakia's Energy Demand

2026-06-28

Russia Ready to Continue Discussing Ukraine With US, Putin Says

Putin Tells Fico: Russia Will Meet Slovakia's Energy Demand

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