Slovakia’s president reportedly disappeared two weeks after meeting Vladimir Putin, but has now resurfaced at a luxury Vietnamese hotel two weeks later.
No one had heard from Robert Fico since his Dec. 22 trip to Moscow, and his office did not respond to questions about the leaders’ whereabouts.
The Prime Minister had only communicated with his country through videos on social media, although it was not clear at the time which country he was in.
Many of the uploaded clips only featured closed curtains and closed windows, leaving viewers struggling to figure out exactly where he was.
Now, two weeks later, he has resurfaced after being discovered at the glamorous Capella Hanoi hotel in Hanoi, Vietnam.
There was growing speculation among MPs that he would spend the holidays in Dubai, but some also predicted on social media that he was in Vietnam, according to Dennik, a Slovak daily.
It was also claimed that the Prime Minister stayed in the Grand Opera Madama Butterfly suite at the property, which offers a rooftop jacuzzi, outdoor bar, outdoor terrace and dining room for ten guests.
The room Fico appears in a video in reportedly costs more than £4,900 per night.
No one had heard from Robert Fico (left) since his trip to Moscow on December 22, and his office did not respond to questions about the leaders’ whereabouts
The Slovak Prime Minister has resurfaced after being discovered at the glamorous Capella Hanoi hotel in Hanoi, Vietnam
There was growing speculation among MPs that he was spending the holidays in Dubai, but some also predicted on social media that he was in Vietnam.
The room Fico appears in a video in reportedly costs more than £4,900 per night
Dennik, a Slovak daily, claimed that the Prime Minister stayed in the Grand Opera Madama Butterfly suite in the property with a rooftop jacuzzi
According to The Slovak spectatorDespite inquiries from the Slovak media to the hotel and the Slovak government, the prime minister’s exact activities in the country remain unclear, as no official visit has been announced.
Concerns were raised after he was last seen holding talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin during a row between Bratislava and Kiev over the halt to Russian gas transit through Ukraine.
But despite his ‘disappearance’, crowds gathered in the Slovak capital on Friday in protest against Fico’s policies, especially his meeting with Putin.
The demonstration was organized by the activist group Peace for Ukraine, which argues that Slovakia is part of the EU and that Fico’s visit to Moscow has undermined the country’s position in the bloc.
About 4,000 protesters held banners reading “We are Europe” and “Traitor” and chanted slogans such as “We will not be silent,” “We will not give up Slovakia” and “Down with Fico,” the Polish News Agency reported.
It comes after Fico released a video statement on January 3 in which he threatened to cut off aid to Ukrainian refugees, accusing Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky of “sabotaging” Russia’s gas supplies, and claiming this would cause Slovakia an annual financial loss of almost £415 million.
Hundreds of people take part in a protest on Freedom Square in Bratislava, Slovakia, on December 23, 2024, after Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico visited Moscow on December 22 to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin
People hold a banner as demonstrators attend an anti-government protest after Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow, amid Russia’s attack on Ukraine
About 4,000 demonstrators held banners reading “We are Europe” and “Traitor” and chanted slogans such as “We will not be silent.”
Fico also said that his Smer party would also consider reducing electricity supplies to Ukraine and demanding the renewal of gas transit or compensation for the financial loss he said Slovakia has suffered as a result of cutting off the supply of Russian gas to its territory.
Gas exports via Soviet-era pipelines running through Ukraine were halted on Wednesday after Kiev refused to renew a pre-war transit deal with Russian state energy giant Gazprom.
The Kiev-Moscow deal existed for decades until its expiration.
However, Zelenskiy vowed not to renew it, arguing that he would not allow countries to “earn additional billions from our blood.”
As the contract neared expiration, Slovakia, which is heavily dependent on Russian gas, tried to convince Ukraine to change course, arguing that failure to renew the energy deal would not hurt Moscow but instead lead to higher prices in Slovakia and higher costs for the energy sector. EU.