Russian President Vladimir Putin promised Slovakia that Russia's Gazprom would find alternative ways to deliver contracted gas to Slovakia after the end of transit through Ukraine, Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico said on Friday.

Robert Fico meets with the Russian president amid concerns about his country's gas supplies, and at a time when Slovakia is withdrawing support for Ukraine's war effort.

Zelensky said this was "the only possible meaning" of Fico's threats to cut off Ukraine's emergency power supply in the winter, given Russian attacks on power plants and the distribution network.

Prime Minister Robert Fico said on Wednesday he had secured Slovakia's gas supply during a visit to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow last month, just before Ukraine halted the transit of gas from Russia at the start of 2025.

Slovaks took to the streets of Bratislava to demonstrate their opposition to Prime Minister Robert Fico's stance. They demanded a change in foreign policy and an end to cooperation with Russia. On Friday,

Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico said Russia will if necessary deliver gas to cover the country’s domestic consumption this year, even as he seeks to restore fuel flows via Ukraine.

Thousands of protesters in the Slovak capital held banners and chanted slogans on Friday accusing Prime Minister Robert Fico of dragging the country towards Russia after he met President Vladimir Putin last month amid a gas dispute with Ukraine.

Thousands of people protested in cities across Slovakia on Friday evening against the Ukraine policy of Slovakian left-wing populist Prime Minister Robert Fico. The demonstrators accused Fico of following a pro-Russian course and of "betraying" Western allies and neighbouring Ukraine.