Putin says Slovakia could host peace talks with Ukraine

MOSCOW - Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday that Russia is open to a Slovakian proposal to host peace talks with Ukraine to end a conflict he said Russia was determined to bring to a conclusion.

Putin, who this week hosted Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico in the Kremlin, said that Fico, an outspoken opponent of European Union military support for Ukraine, had offered his country as a host to talks between Russia and Ukraine.

Putin said the Slovakian authorities "...would be happy to provide their own country as a platform for negotiations. We are not opposed, if it comes to that. Why not? Since Slovakia takes such a neutral position."

Slovakia is seen as one of a growing camp of central and eastern European EU member states that are sceptical of support for Ukraine, and supportive of negotiations with Russia.

Slovak Foreign Minister Juraj Blanar said Slovakia has long sought a peaceful solution to the conflict and that Putin's comments were a "positive signal" for an end to the war.

"Slovak diplomacy is prepared to actively contribute to the peace process in this way and we have also communicated this option to the Ukrainian partners," at a joint cabinet meeting in October, Blanar said in a statement released late on Thursday.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has repeatedly criticised Slovakia, which borders Ukraine, for the friendly tone Fico has struck towards Russia since his return to power after an election in 2023.

Putin has repeatedly said that Russia is open to talks to end the conflict with Kyiv, but that it would nevertheless achieve its goals in Ukraine.

Putin said on Thursday that Russia could use the new intermediate-range hypersonic ballistic missile known as Oreshnik again but was in no hurry to do so.

"We do not exclude the possibility of using it both today and tomorrow, if necessary," Putin said.

If necessary, Putin said, Russia could use more powerful intermediate-range weapons.

(Reporting by Felix Light, additional reporting by Jan Lopatka; editing by Guy Faulconbridge, Louise Heavens and Sharon Singleton)