Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico has warned of potential cuts to financial aid for over 130,000 Ukrainian refugees amid an escalating dispute with Ukraine over Russian gas supplies.
On January 1, Kyiv shut down a pipeline that had been supplying Russian natural gas to Central Europe for decades.
As Slovakia had served as the main entry point for the pipeline, the country now faces a significant financial loss, estimated at hundreds of millions of euros in transit fees.
The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) recently estimated that Slovakia hosts 130,530 Ukrainian refugees, out of a global total of 6,813,900.
Fico, who visited Moscow in December for talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin, criticized Kyiv’s decision, labeling it as “sabotage.”
He announced plans to propose halting electricity exports to Ukraine and significantly reducing financial support for Ukrainian refugees in Slovakia.
Fico assured that Slovakia would not face gas shortages, having secured alternative supply arrangements.
However, he emphasized that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s decision to halt the pipeline would cost Slovakia €500 million (£415 million; $518 million) in transit revenue.
The prime minister stated that his party is prepared to discuss suspending electricity exports and cutting support for Ukrainian citizens residing in Slovakia.
“The only alternative for a sovereign Slovakia is renewal of transit or demanding compensation mechanisms that will replace the loss in public finances,” he added.
Last month Zelensky accused Fico of helping Putin to “fund the war and weaken Ukraine”.
“Fico is dragging Slovakia into Russia’s attempts to cause more suffering for Ukrainians,” the Ukrainian president had said.
Poland has offered to support Kyiv in case Slovakia cuts off its electricity exports – supplies that are crucial to Ukraine, whose power plants come under regular attack from Russia.
Poland’s government called Ukraine’s shutdown of Russian gas supplies “another victory” against Moscow while the European Commission said the EU had prepared for the change and most states could cope.
Moldova, which is not in the EU, is already suffering shortages.
Russia can still send gas to Hungary, Turkey and Serbia through the TurkStream pipeline across the Black Sea.