Bratislava may retaliate to Kiev's decision to halt Russian gas transport - Slovak PM

PRAGUE. Jan 9 (Interfax) - Slovakia might stop providing humanitarian support to Ukraine fully or partially in the wake of Kiev's decision not to extend a contract for transporting Russian natural gas via Ukrainian territory, Slovak media quoted Prime Minister Robert Fico as saying.

"We could fully stop humanitarian aid to Ukraine, make a decision on considerably slashing or completely cancelling benefits for Ukrainians staying currently in Slovakia, as well as halt the supply of electricity [to Ukraine] in emergency situations," Fico said.

"We were extremely dismayed by Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky's statement in which he categorically dismissed any options for continuing gas transit via Ukraine," Fico said, adding that Zelensky should have warned Slovakia in advance.

Ukraine's move is "an exclusively political decision causing considerable damage to Slovakia, as well as the European Union as a whole," Fico said.

Slovakia would lose 500 million euros from the halt of Russian gas shipments via Ukraine, and this could also inflict substantial damage on the EU, he said.

"Experts from both Slovakia and the Czech Republic have confirmed to us that the halt of gas supplies from the East to the West would have a tremendous effect on gas prices," Fico said.

Slovakia has exhausted its negotiating resources, Fico said, asking the EU leadership whether there actually were any tangible obstacles to Russian gas shipments via Ukraine.