The Prime Minister of Slovakia has warned Kyiv about the potential halt of electricity supplies.

After January 1, when the transit of Russian gas through Ukraine is set to cease, the Slovak government will assess the situation and potential retaliatory measures against Ukraine, he stated. According to him, a possible halt in electricity supplies is one of the options being considered.

In a video, Fico mentioned that the cessation of gas supplies would harm the country's economy and could lead to price increases. He criticized Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. "Who cares about Slovakia, Mr. Zelensky? But when you need something to avoid freezing in winter, you shout about it," Fico remarked.

The transit of Russian gas to the EU through Ukrainian territory is expected to stop on January 1. In December, Fico traveled to Moscow for talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin. This topic was presumably discussed there.

Following Fico's statements about the potential suspension of electricity supplies to Kyiv, Zelensky instructed government members to work with partners in Europe to ensure the stability of the unified European energy system. "Whatever Putin said to Fico while he was in the Kremlin, European rules must prevail over the connections of any individual with Moscow," Zelensky stated in an evening video address.

For its part, the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry asserted that "the supply of critical volumes of electricity from Slovakia to Ukraine is not charity: Ukraine pays Slovakia a significant amount for it." The ministry noted that Putin and Fico are the only two politicians threatening to leave Ukrainians without electricity in winter.

The head of Ukraine's Ministry of Energy, Herman Halushchenko, announced that Kyiv has sent appeals to the EU Energy Commissioner, the European Energy Community, and the European Network of Transmission System Operators regarding the potential cessation of electricity supplies from Slovakia. Halushchenko added that Ukraine has prepared a mechanism to replace Slovak electricity supplies.

After the visit of the Slovak Prime Minister, Zelensky stated that Fico's actions should be investigated by Slovak intelligence services. The Slovak Prime Minister himself claimed before the trip that the Ukrainian president attempted to bribe him by promising to transfer frozen Russian assets in the EU to Slovakia in exchange for Bratislava's vote for Ukraine's NATO membership.

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