Tensions are rising between Ukraine and Slovakia. After Slovakia's pro-Russian Prime Minister, Robert Fico, insulted Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, the latter decided to respond. "It’s good that Slovakia’s Prime Minister Fico has finally returned from his vacation at a luxurious hotel in Vietnam and is now in Bratislava.

Thousands of protesters in the Slovak capital held banners and chanted slogans on Friday accusing Prime Minister Robert Fico of dragging the country towards Russia after he met President Vladimir Putin last month amid a gas dispute with Ukraine.

Slovakia’s Prime Minister Robert Fico said he wasn’t ruling out the resumption of gas through Ukraine after a deal between Kyiv and Moscow expired at the beginning of this year.

Pro-Russian Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico criticised Ukraine as an unreliable partner and stated that he is tired of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky travelling around Europe, "begging" and "blackmailing others.

Slovakia is weighing retaliation against Ukraine including withholding aid if a solution is not found to Kyiv's decision to shut off Russian gas, Prime Minister Robert Fico said on Thursday after talks with EU Energy Commissioner Dan Jorgensen.

Fico said Putin guaranteed that Russia would meets its obligations, although capacity in the TurkStream pipeline and connecting route taking Russian gas through Turkey to Europe was limited. "President Putin guaranteed that they will honour their commitments," Fico said.

By Albin Sybera Slovakia’s populist Prime Minister Robert Fico has stepped up his anti-Ukrainian rhetoric, saying that Slovakia could halt all its humanitarian aid for Ukraine and Ukrainians in Slovakia,

Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico escalated threats against Ukraine on Jan. 9, warning of severe consequences in response to Kyiv’s suspension of Russian gas transit, Slovak media outlet Teraz.sk reported.