Kremlin publishes list of European leaders receiving New Year greetings from Putin

The Kremlin has revealed which European politicians are receiving New Year telegrams from Kremlin ruler Vladimir Putin.

The Kremlin leader has sent New Year greetings to Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.

Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev and Armenia's Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan are also among the recipients.

Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico, who visited Moscow in late December, is not on the Kremlin’s list.

Putin's spokesperson, Dmitry Peskov, told Kremlin-aligned Russian news agency TASS, however, that Fico had also received New Year greetings from Putin.

On 22 December, Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico held talks with Putin in Moscow, which has increased tensions between Bratislava and Kyiv.

Fico's visit to Putin drew criticism from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.