Matovic: It Is Crime to Shake Hands with Mass Murderer Vladimir Putin

Bratislava, May 11 (TASR) - All of Slovakia and democratic Europe were holding their breath, wondering whether Robert Fico (Smer-SD) would go through with his "criminal" act — and he did, Igor Matovic, leader of the 'Slovakia' party, stated during a Sunday press conference in response to Prime Minister Fico’s trip to Moscow. According to Matovic, it is a crime to shake hands with the President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin, whom he called a mass murderer. “Fico has written himself into the history of Slovakia in giant letters. Our children and grandchildren will learn that while EU leaders were in Kiev showing support for war victims, there was one traitor from within the EU — and his name was Robert Fico, who went to support the mass murderer Putin directly in Moscow,” Matovic declared. 'Slovakia' MP Gabor Grendel added that the Prime Minister is pulling Slovakia eastward and into international isolation. “Facts don’t lie. Our allies in the EU and NATO have been avoiding Robert Fico since the beginning of his term. If they haven’t invited him or come to Bratislava, then his meeting with Putin in Moscow sends them a very strong message,” Grendel emphasized. Former Interior Minister Roman Mikulec (2020-23) noted that on May 9, all real European leaders were in Kiev, not in Moscow like Fico. “He tries to convince his voters that holding four bilateral meetings in one afternoon is extraordinary. But based on my experience, it’s quite normal to have more than that during an average EU summit afternoon. But for that, Robert Fico would have to attend EU meetings — where nobody wants him,” Mikulec added. Matovic also questioned the outcomes of Fico’s reported bilateral meetings in Moscow with Chinese President Xi Jinping, Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, and senior Vietnamese officials. “He didn’t even say whether he actually agreed on anything,” Matovic pointed out. mf