Fico: Zelensky’s “blackmail and begging” must stop

Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico says Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky is “begging” across Europe. He said this in his speech to a parliamentary committee on Friday, a video he posted on his Facebook page.

“He (Zelensky – ed.) Walks around that Europe, just begging and blackmailing others, asking for money. It must stop,” said Fico.

He called the president of Ukraine untrustworthy and said he was sometimes “disgusted with him.”

Russia, he said, has always been a reliable partner when it comes to energy supplies.

The parliamentary committee meeting was called by the opposition, which demanded an explanation from Fico about his meeting with Russian leader Vladimir Putin in Moscow, as well as information on Slovakia’s next steps related to the cessation of Russian gas transit through Ukraine.

Meanwhile, Slovak President Peter Pellegrini said he will not go on an official visit to Ukraine due to the suspension of gas transit to his country. He revealed this on Saturday, January 11, on STVR.

Pellegrini said that under these circumstances his trip to Ukraine was out of the question.

“If I have to go there just to take a picture, and they tell me that not a single drop of oil and gas will go to Slovakia, then I shouldn’t go there.” he said.

Earlier, Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico accused Kyiv of causing damage to Bratislava by stopping Russian gas transit.

However, the cessation of Russian gas transit through the Ukrainian gas transportation system does not affect either the energy security of European countries or consumer prices in the market, the European Commission said.