Russian President Vladimir Putin promised Slovakia that Russia's Gazprom would find alternative ways to deliver contracted gas to Slovakia after the end of transit through Ukraine, Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico said on Friday.

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.

However, Fico says it will cost Slovakia 1 billion euros ($1 billion) a year in higher prices for the gas it uses and 500 million euros in onward transit fees. He has threatened to cut emergency electricity supplies to Ukraine as Russia attacks its power grid,

Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico has expanded his threats against Ukraine over Kyiv's suspension of Russian natural gas transit. Source: Teraz.sk, citing Fico's words in Brussels after talks with European Commission officials on 9 January,

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.