Slovak PM Fico Threatens to Cut Aid to Ukrainian Refugees and Electricity Supplies Over €500 Million Gas Transit Halt, Meeting Set for Jan. 7 in Brussels

Jan 2, 2025, 05:25 PM

Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico has threatened to reduce aid to Ukrainian refugees in Slovakia and halt electricity supplies to Ukraine in response to Kyiv's decision to stop the transit of Russian gas through its territory. Fico's statements were made in a video posted on Facebook, where he criticized Ukraine's move to terminate the gas transit agreement, which he claims will cost Slovakia €500 million ($513 million) annually in lost transit revenue. The Slovak government, led by Fico's party Smer-SD, is set to discuss these retaliatory measures in the coming days. Fico's threats come amid escalating tensions, with a meeting scheduled for January 7 in Brussels involving Slovak, Ukrainian, and European Commission representatives to address the gas transit shutdown.