Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico said Bratislava is ready to join a proposal promoted by Brazil and China to resolve the war in Ukraine.
Fico met with Chinese President Xi Jinping on November 1 in Beijing and said afterward that China’s position on the war in Ukraine “is fair, objective, and constructive."
Ukraine Invasion: News & Analysis
RFE/RL's Ukraine Live Briefing gives you the latest developments on Russia's invasion, Western military aid, the plight of civilians, and territorial control maps. For all of RFE/RL's coverage of the war, click here.
China and Brazil in August jointly published a "six-point consensus" meant to bring about a lasting political solution to the war that Russia launched in February 2022. The plan calls for cooling down the fighting and a recognition that dialogue and negotiations are the only way to end the war.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has called the proposal "destructive" and "mostly pro-Russian" as it calls for a compromise from Ukraine and was created without input from Kyiv.
He rejected it in an interview in September with Brazilian media, saying it has nothing to do with justice or with values and fails to take into account Ukraine’s position and the issue of territorial integrity.
Despite Zelenskiy's rejection of the plan, Fico said Slovakia is willing to join other countries that China says have positively received it “and work with China to contribute to promoting a political solution to the crisis,” according to a Chinese government statement.
Fico, who has criticized EU policies on Ukraine and has opposed sanctions on Russia, said Slovakia is “very keen on China’s diplomatic efforts dedicated to regulating the conflict in Ukraine and have exchanged our attitudes on this fundamental issue.”
China could play a "decisive role" regarding the Ukraine conflict, he added on Facebook.
China has been criticized by Western countries for maintaining friendly ties with Russia and for providing dual-use equipment such as electronics needed for weapons production.
Beijing has said that the plan it developed with Brazil, which it calls Friends Of Peace, has received a "positive response" from more than 110 countries.
Fico landed in Beijing on October 31 for a state visit set to end on November 5.
Slovakia and China announced on November 1 that the two countries had signed a strategic partnership agreement and granted Slovak citizens 15-day visa-free entry to China.
Xi said China would strengthen bilateral cooperation with Slovakia in areas such as new energy, transport and logistics, and infrastructure construction, according to the official Xinhua news agency.