Slovak PM meets with Putin in Beijing

Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico has begun a meeting with Russian ruler Vladimir Putin in Beijing.

Russian media outlets published material from the start of the meeting between the Slovak and Russian leaders in Beijing, where Putin is on a four-day visit.

Fico is the only leader from an EU member state present in the Chinese capital.

The Russian media outlet RIA Novosti reported that their conversation began with Fico asking Putin how he was feeling. "If I'm alive, that's already good enough," Putin answered.

In addition to him, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has already held talks with Putin, and Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić also plans to do so.

Robert Fico stated that after his talks with Putin and his return to Slovakia, he would meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Fico and Vučić were Putin's only European guests at the level of heads of state at the 9th May Victory Day celebrations in Moscow. [Victory Day is a Russian holiday commemorating the Soviet victory over Nazi Germany in 1945, celebrated on 9 May – ed.]