What is he paying with? Fico is aiding Putin in pushing American gas out of Europe, according to Zelensky.

The President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, stated that the Prime Minister of Slovakia is acting in the interests of the Kremlin, receiving economic benefits. These actions could cost Slovakia its sovereignty and threaten the energy security of the EU. Zelensky called on the law enforcement agencies and special services of Slovakia to investigate the potential connections of the country's Prime Minister, Robert Fico, with the Kremlin.

In fact, Zelensky accused Fico of collaboration that undermines Europe and finances the Russian war. He emphasized that after their meeting in Moscow, Fico and Putin made no joint statements and did not respond to media inquiries. Zelensky suspects that "they simply cannot publicly disclose what they discussed at the meeting and are afraid of public reaction."

"Moscow provides significant discounts to Fico, but it is Slovakia that pays for them. Such discounts are not free – they are paid for by sovereignty or through shadow schemes. This should interest Slovak law enforcement and special services," Zelensky remarked, commenting on Fico's visit to Moscow.

The head of state stressed that European leaders have already noted the position of the Slovak Prime Minister, who is reluctant to engage in the EU's efforts towards energy independence. Instead, according to Zelensky, Fico is assisting Russia in pushing American gas and resources from other partners out of Europe, which weakens the European Union and provides Putin with funding for the war.

"Why is this leader so dependent on Moscow? What is he being paid with, and what is he paying in return?" Zelensky asked, also posting the message in Slovak.

The President of Ukraine pointed out the economic gains that Fico's government receives from cooperating with Russia. In particular, this refers to the cost of Russian gas for Slovakia as well as income from oil transit through Ukrainian territory.

"He is specifically interested in Russian gas, which costs 500 million US dollars per year. Additional profits come from the oil pipeline that runs through Ukrainian territory, providing another 500 million dollars per year, which benefits Mr. Fico," Zelensky emphasized.

In the view of the President of Ukraine, the Slovak leader's dependence on Moscow poses a serious threat to both Slovakia and Europe as a whole.

"We are losing people due to the war initiated by Putin, and we believe that such assistance to Putin is immoral," Zelensky also wrote.

Transit of Russian Gas to Slovakia and Hungary

Starting from January 1, 2025, Ukraine will halt the transit of gas from Russia. On December 20, 2024, Robert Fico expressed his outrage over this decision by President Volodymyr Zelensky. According to Fico, he was surprised by Zelensky's stance, which refused to allow the transit of Russian gas without guarantees that the Kremlin would not gain financial benefits amidst the war.

Fico emphasized that Slovakia, which heavily relies on Russian gas, proposed alternative mechanisms. In particular, this involved transferring ownership rights of the gas before it enters Ukraine. A similar clever mechanism to preserve gas transit was also suggested by Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban. However, the Ukrainian side rejected these proposals.

It is worth noting that Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal confirmed back in October that the agreement for the transit of Russian gas will not be extended after its expiration in 2024. Previously, Energy Minister Herman Halushchenko had also stated that after the gas transit contract with Russia ends, Ukraine will not negotiate its extension. The position of Ukraine is unequivocal and is not subject to revision, government representatives emphasized.