Slovakia's coalition government will discuss retaliatory measures to take against Ukraine after it halted the flow of Russian gas through its territory to Slovakia, Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico said on Thursday.

Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico described Ukraine's halt of the transit of gas supplied from Russia to the EU as "Zelensky's sabotage." In a video released on Thursday, he again threatened to cut off electricity supplies to Ukraine and discussed the possibility of reducing support for Ukrainian refugees in Slovakia.

Despite EU efforts to reduce dependence on Russian fossil fuels, Slovakia remains reliant on Russian gas under a long-term contract with Russia's state-owned energy giant Gazprom. Switching to alternative supply routes could cost Slovakia an additional €220 million ($229 million) in transit fees.

Ukrainian Energy Minister German Galushchenko also says Kyiv can buy electricity from Romania and Poland if it loses supplies from Bratislava.

Poland is prepared to step up electricity exports to Ukraine if Slovakia’s Prime Minister Robert Fico follows through on his threat to cut off back-up power supplies to the war-torn country, a senior official said on Sunday.

Slovakia will consider reciprocal measures against Ukraine such as halting back-up electricity supplies after Jan. 1 if Kyiv, as expected, stops the transit of Russian gas to Slovakia, Prime Minister Robert Fico said on Friday.

Leaders of the two countries have exchanged accusations and threats ahead of an anticipated halt to Russian gas flows via Ukraine

Mr Zelensky accuses Slovakia's PM of opening a "second energy front" against Ukraine on the orders of Russia. Read more at straitstimes.com.

Even as Russian troops and tanks moved into Ukraine in February 2022, Russian natural gas kept flowing through the country’s pipeline network — set up when Ukraine and Russia were both part of the Soviet Union — to Europe,

Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico has criticized Ukraine's decision to halt the transit of gas supplied from Russia to the EU, calling it "Zelensky's sabotage." In a video released on Thursday, he reiterated his threat to cut off electricity supplies to Ukraine and discussed possibly reducing support for Ukrainian refugees in Slovakia.