Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico accused Zelenskiy of attempting to bribe him with €500 million

Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico has accused Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky of attempting to bribe him with €500 million in exchange for Slovakia’s support of Ukraine’s NATO membership bid.

Fico disclosed this information during a press conference in Brussels on Thursday, following a private meeting with Zelensky at an EU leaders’ summit.

The Prime Minister indicated that Bratislava might contemplate “reciprocal measures” in light of Ukraine’s refusal to renew its gas transit agreement with Russia, which is due to expire at the end of the year.

Ukraine has cited the ongoing conflict as the reason for this decision, raising alarms in Slovakia, which depends on Russian gas that transits through Ukraine. Fico underscored the importance of finding alternative solutions to prevent a potential gas crisis.

He noted that during their discussions, Zelensky rejected the idea of allowing fuel transit and instead proposed what Fico described as “absurd” solutions to address the gas situation.

Fico alleged that Zelensky specifically asked if he would support Ukraine’s NATO membership in exchange for €500 million from Russian assets that have been frozen in the West since the onset of the conflict between Moscow and Kiev.

The Prime Minister of Slovakia stated that he informed the Ukrainian leader immediately that he would “never” consent to such a proposal.

“You are aware of my stance on Ukraine’s NATO membership, and it is peculiar that he posed such a question, as he is fully aware that an invitation for Ukraine to join NATO is entirely unrealistic,” he emphasized.

Artyom Dmitruk, a Ukrainian opposition MP who reportedly fled the country earlier this year due to fears of persecution, claimed that Zelensky has once again “shamed” Ukraine on the global stage by attempting to bribe Fico.

“I am quite certain that the discussion may not have revolved around funds from the ‘Russian assets,’ but rather about cash that Zelensky could have transported in a suitcase,” Dmitruk stated on Telegram on Friday.

Moscow, which perceives NATO as a threat and strongly opposes its expansion to the east, has pointed to Kiev’s ambitions to join the US-led alliance as one of the primary justifications for initiating its military operation in February 2022.

Nevertheless, Kiev has consistently maintained its pursuit of NATO membership throughout the conflict, asserting that it is the sole means of deterring Russia. In early December, Zelensky indicated that he would request US President Joe Biden to extend a formal invitation to the alliance for Kiev before the inauguration of his successor, Donald Trump, who is doubtful about continuing American support for Ukraine, on January 20, 2025.

French newspaper Le Monde previously reported that several member states, including the US, Germany, Hungary, Slovakia, Belgium, Slovenia, and Spain, are currently opposed to Ukraine’s accession to NATO.