Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Monday on the sidelines of the European Political Community summit in Yerevan, Armenia, marking a notable thaw after prolonged hostility between the two neighbours. Both leaders expressed support for stronger bilateral ties, with Fico reaffirming Slovakia's backing for Ukraine's EU membership and Zelensky accepting an invitation to visit Bratislava, while also inviting Fico to Kyiv. The rapprochement follows a shift in Fico's political position after his close ally, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, lost his country's election three weeks ago — leaving the Slovak leader more isolated in Europe and apparently pushing him toward a more pragmatic stance on Ukraine, despite his planned attendance at Victory Day commemorations in Moscow on 9 May.