**Slovak Government Threatens Ukraine**
The government of Slovakia is considering taking action against Ukraine. Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico said that if Ukraine stops the transit of Russian gas to Europe, his country will consider halting electricity supplies to Ukraine.
Fico made this announcement on December 27. He said that after January 1, his government would assess the situation and think about what measures to take. If it’s necessary, Slovakia might cut off electricity to Ukraine during power outages.
The Slovak Prime Minister also said that cutting gas transit through Ukraine would be bad for the European Union. This is because many EU countries rely on Russian gas. Fico had met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow to discuss gas supplies.
Some EU countries are trying to reduce their dependence on Russian fossil fuels, but Slovakia and others still rely heavily on Russian gas. They have a long-term contract with Russia’s state-owned energy company Gazprom. If they were to find alternative arrangements, it would cost them an extra €220 million.
Since taking office, Fico has shifted Slovakia’s foreign policy towards being more aligned with Russia. This has caused concern among Ukraine and other European countries.