Slovakia's Prime Minister, Robert Fico, has threatened to cut aid to more than 130,000 Ukrainian refugees as a dispute with Ukraine over Russian gas supplies escalates.
On January 1, Kyiv closed pipeline which was used for decades to supply Russian natural gas for Central Europe.
Slovakia had been the main point of entry and the country is now losing millions of euros in transit fees.
The UN refugee agency (UNHCR) estimated last month there were 130,530 Ukrainian refugees in Slovakia out of 6,813,900 worldwide.
Fico – who in December on a surprise trip to Moscow for talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin – he described the Kyiv movement as “sabotage”.
The prime minister of the EU state said that he would propose to stop the export of electricity to Ukraine and also to “significantly reduce” financial support for Ukrainians who have taken refuge in Slovakia.
He said that there was no danger that Slovakia itself would suffer from a lack of gas, as they had already made other arrangements.
But Fico said Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's decision to turn off the taps would result in 500m euros (£415m; $518m) in transfer fees from other countries in Slovakia.
He said his party was ready to discuss the “suspension of electricity supply” and a “significant reduction in aid to Ukrainian citizens in Slovakia”.
“The only other option for sovereign Slovakia is to renew the transfer mechanisms or to ask for compensation mechanisms that will replace the loss in public finances,” he said.
Last month Zelensky accused Fico of helping Putin to “finance the war and weaken Ukraine”.
“Fico is dragging Slovakia into Russia's efforts to cause more suffering for Ukrainians,” the Ukrainian president said.
Poland has offered to support Kyiv in case Slovakia cuts its electricity exports – a supply vital to Ukraine, whose power plants are under constant attack from Russia.
The Polish government called the cut “another blow” against Moscow and the European Commission said the EU had prepared for the change and that most states could cope.
Moldova, which is not in the EU, is already suffering from shortages.
Russia can still send gas to Hungary, Turkey and Serbia via the TurkStream pipeline across the Black Sea.
(BBC)
