Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has accused Slovakia’s Prime Minister Robert Fico of opening a “second energy front” against Kyiv on the orders of Moscow, deepening an already tense dispute over transfers of Russian gas to Europe. Ukraine pumps Russian natural gas through its territory to several European countries, including Slovakia, Moldova and Hungary. But it is expected to halt the flow when an existing transit deal, which was signed before Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, expires at the end of the year. Fico, who visited Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow earlier this week, said on Friday that Slovakia would consider reciprocal measures against Ukraine if Kyiv cuts off the transfers as of January 1. Slovakia wants to maintain Russian gas supplies via Ukraine, saying alternative routes would hike costs and harm its transit operations while causing the country to lose 500 million euros ($521m) in fees.

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