“Let’s meet at Ukraine border and discuss Russian gas,” Slovak PM says. “Come to Kyiv on Friday,” Zelenskyy replies

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy rebuffed Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico’s request to meet near the Slovak-Ukrainian border, countering with a direct challenge.

“Ok. Come to Kyiv on Friday,” he wrote on X.

The 1 January end of Russian gas transit through Ukraine marks a historic shift in European energy flows, effectively closing the last major pipeline route that had supplied Russian gas to Western Europe for decades. The halt signals the culmination of Europe’s push to wean itself off Russian energy following Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

Fico released a video message on 13 January proposing to meet Zelenskyy at the countries’ shared border to discuss the transit stoppage. In an accompanying Facebook letter, he claimed the interruption “causes significant harm to Ukraine, Slovakia, and especially the European Union.”

The meeting’s location has become a flashpoint, with Fico pushing for talks at the border while Zelenskyy insists on Ukraine’s capital. The venue dispute adds to escalating tensions between the neighbors over energy policy.

Fico has threatened retaliatory measures against Ukraine, including cuts to humanitarian aid, reduced support for Ukrainian refugees in Slovakia, and suspension of emergency electricity supplies. However, despite these threats, private energy traders and EU regulations ensure continued power flow to Ukraine.

On 12 January, Zelenskyy revealed that Kyiv offered to help Slovakia adapt to the transit halt, but Fico rejected the proposal.

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