The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Slovakia has officially confirmed preparations for a meeting in Moscow of the Russian-Slovak intergovernmental commission on economic, scientific, and technical cooperation. The meeting is scheduled for October 26, 2026, and will be the first such session since the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. According to Reuters, the main topics of the negotiations will be energy and the «possibility of cooperation in ensuring the supply of strategic resources», as well as discussions on the terms of extending oil and gas supplies from Russia.
First meeting in five years: What is being discussed in Moscow
The Slovak side, as follows from the Foreign Ministry's statement, is interested in increasing import volumes of Russian energy resources. This decision contradicts the approved European Union plan, according to which Bratislava is obliged to completely stop purchases of Russian gas by the end of 2027. This plan is part of the EU's overall strategy to deprive Russia of revenues from energy exports, which, according to Western capitals, are directed towards waging war against Ukraine. Nevertheless, the Slovak government emphasizes that it intends to «simultaneously develop relations with Russia and continue to fulfill obligations in the EU and NATO», citing the need for «space for dialogue».
Context: Repeated visits by Fico to Moscow
The commission meeting in Moscow will be a logical continuation of a series of visits by Prime Minister Robert Fico to the Russian capital. According to available data, the head of the Slovak government has repeatedly visited Moscow over the past months, which has drawn sharp criticism from Kyiv and several European capitals. Notably, in May 2026, Fico was forced to travel to Moscow via an extended route after Poland and the Baltic states refused to open their airspace for his plane. This incident became one of the sharpest diplomatic episodes in relations between Bratislava and Eastern European EU and NATO members.
Parallel tracks: Negotiations with Slovakia and consultations with Ukraine
Against the backdrop of preparations for the Moscow meeting, the Slovak side is also pursuing another diplomatic track. On November 5, 2026, intergovernmental consultations between Ukraine and Slovakia are scheduled in Lviv. Thus, Bratislava is essentially preparing economic interaction with Moscow and political negotiations with Kyiv at the same time. Such dual diplomatic activity increases tension in relations between the two countries and calls into question the extent of Slovakia's commitment to collective energy obligations to European partners.
Bratislava's energy choice and its consequences
Slovakia's decision to expand purchases of Russian oil and gas at a time when most EU countries are consistently reducing their dependence on Russian energy creates a precedent that could affect intra-European coordination in energy policy. The obligation to stop importing Russian gas by the end of 2027 remains in force, but current negotiations in Moscow indicate that Bratislava intends at least to postpone the fulfillment of this condition. How exactly the Slovak government plans to align its actions with the EU regulatory framework is not specified in the Foreign Ministry statement.
