Slovakia threatens to cut benefit for Ukrainian refugees in gas dispute

Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico has threatened to cut financial aid to more than 130,000 Ukrainian refugees amid a standoff with Ukraine over increased Russian gas supplies.

On January 1, Kyiv closed the pipeline that for many years it was used to supply natural gas to Central Europe.

Slovakia was the main entry point and the country is about to lose millions of euros in fines.

The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) estimates last month there were 130,530 Ukrainian refugees in Slovakia out of 6,813,900 in the world.

Fico – who in December went to Moscow to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin – described Kyiv’s move as “sabotage”.

The EU prime minister said he wanted to freeze electricity exports to Ukraine and “significantly reduce” financial aid to Ukrainians who have found refuge in Slovakia.

He said that there is no danger of Slovakia suffering from a lack of gas, because it has already developed other ways.

But Fico added that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s decision to freeze the tapes would cost Slovakia 500m euros (£415m; $518m) in fines from other countries.

He said that his party was ready to oppose the “blackout” and the “significant decrease in the support of Ukrainian citizens in Slovakia”.

“The only way for an independent Slovakia is to reorganize the administration or demand compensation that will replace the loss of public finances,” he said.

Last month Zelensky accused Fico of helping Putin “pay for war and weaken Ukraine”.

“Fico is dragging Slovakia to Russia to try to make the Ukrainian people suffer,” the Ukrainian president said.

Poland has offered support to Kyiv if Slovakia cuts off electricity exports – a vital commodity for Ukraine, whose power infrastructure is regularly attacked by Russia.

The Polish government called the cuts “another victory” against Moscow, while the European Commission said the EU had prepared for the change and many countries could withstand it.

Moldova, which is not in the EU, is already struggling.

Russia can export gas to Hungary, Turkey and Serbia through the TurkStream pipeline across the Black Sea.