The President of Slovakia reportedly disappeared for two weeks after meeting with Vladimir Putin but has now resurfaced two weeks later in a luxury Vietnamese hotel.
No one had heard from Robert Fico since his trip to Moscow on December 22, and his office failed to 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 which country he was in at the time.
Many of the uploaded clips contained a view of only drawn curtains and closed windows which led viewers to struggle to work out where exactly he was.
Now, two weeks later, he has resurfaced after being discovered at the glamorous Capella Hanoi hotel in Hanoi, Vietnam.
There was mounting speculation among MPs that he was spending the holiday season in Dubai, but some also predicted on social media that he was in Vietnam, according to Dennik, a Slovak daily newspaper.
It also claimed the prime minister was staying in the Grand Opera Madama Butterfly suite within the accommodation which offers a rooftop jacuzzi, outdoor bar, alfresco terrace, and a dining room for 10 guests.
The room in which Fico appears in a video reportedly costs over £4,900 a night.
No one had heard from Robert Fico (left) since his trip to Moscow on December 22, and his office failed to respond to questions about the leaders whereabouts
The Slovakian prime minister has resurfaced after being discovered at the glamorous Capella Hanoi hotel in Hanoi, Vietnam
There was mounting speculation among MPs that he was spending the holiday season in Dubai, but some also predicted on social media that he was in Vietnam
The room in which Fico appears in a video reportedly costs over £4,900 a night
Dennik, a Slovak daily newspaper claimed the prime minister was staying in the Grand Opera Madama Butterfly suite within the accommodation which offers a rooftop jacuzzi
According to The Slovak Spectator, despite inquiries from 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 amid a spat between Bratislava and Kyiv over the cessation of Russian gas transits through Ukraine.
But despite his ‘disappearance’ crowds gathered in the Slovakian capital on Friday in protest of Fico’s policies, in particular, his meeting with Putin.
The demonstration was organised by the Peace for Ukraine activist group which argues that Slovakia is part of the EU and that Fico’s Moscow trip undermined the country’s position in the bloc.
Around 4,000 protesters held banners reading ‘We are Europe’ and ‘Traitor’ and chanted slogans including ‘We will not be silent,’ ‘We will not give up Slovakia,’ and ‘Down with Fico,’ the Polish Press Agency reported.
It comes after Fico released a video statement on January 3 in which he threatened to halt support for Ukrainian refugees, accusing Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelensky of ‘sabotaging’ Russian gas supplies, and claimed this was causing Slovakia an annual financial loss of almost £415million.
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
Around 4,000 protesters held banners reading ‘We are Europe’ and ‘Traitor’ and chanted slogans including ‘We will not be silent’
Fico also said his Smer party would also consider cutting electricity supplies to Ukraine and demand the renewal of gas transits or compensation for the financial loss he says Slovakia has taken due to the halting of Russian gas into its territory.
Gas exports via Soviet-era pipelines running through Ukraine were halted on Wednesday after Kyiv refused to renew a pre-war transit deal with Russia’s state energy giant Gazprom.
The deal between Kyiv and Moscow had been in place for decades up until its expiration.
However, Zelenskyy, vowed not to renew it, arguing that he would not allow countries to ‘earn additional billions on our blood.’
As the deal neared its expiration, Slovakia, which relies heavily on Russian gas, tried to persuade Ukraine to change course, arguing that a failure to renew the energy deal would not hurt Moscow but instead lead to increased prices in Slovakia and higher costs for the EU.