Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico has met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in China to discuss bilateral issues and the Ukraine conflict

Ukraine is free to pursue EU membership, but it cannot be allowed to join NATO, Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico said during a bilateral meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in China on Tuesday.

Fico noted that while every country has the right to decide its future, there are a lot of issues regarding Kiev's accession to the EU. He stressed that Slovakia believes Ukraine needs to fulfill all the demands that are necessary for it to become a member of the bloc and said he would discuss this issue during an upcoming meeting with Vladimir Zelensky.

Putin responded by pointing out that Moscow had never opposed Kiev's EU membership. However, he stressed that its NATO ambitions are an "entirely different question" and an issue which affects Russia's national security.

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(RT.com)