Slovakia could take retaliatory measures against Ukraine after Kyiv halted the flow of Russian gas through its territory, Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico warned Thursday.

The United Nations Refugee Agency said there were just over 130,000 Ukrainian refugees in Slovakia as of December 8.

Angered by Ukraine's transit stoppage for Russian gas, Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico is threatening to take measures against Ukrainian refugees. Speaking in the capital Bratislava on Thursday,

Slovakia's coalition government will discuss retaliatory measures to take against Ukraine after it halted the flow of Russian gas through its territory to Slovakia, Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico said on Thursday.

By Albin Sybera in Bratislava Russian gas flows via the Brotherhood pipeline across Ukraine will end at midnight on December 31, cutting the last operating direct pipeline link from Russia to the West.

Slovakia's Prime Minister Robert Fico has threatened to cut financial support for more than 130,000 Ukrainian refugees as a dispute with Ukraine over Russian gas supplies escalates. On 1 January, Kyiv shut off a pipeline that for decades was used to supply Central Europe with Russian natural gas.

Austria has insisted it is well prepared for the stoppage, but Slovakia has threatened to cut electricity supplies to neighboring Ukraine.

Bratislava: Slovakian leader Robert Fico has threatened to cut financial aid for over 130,000 Ukrainian refugees living in Slovakia. This move is part of a set of retaliatory measures against Kyiv, following its decision to halt the flow of Russian gas through its territory to Slovakia.

Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico urged the European Commission to address the looming halt of Russian gas transit through Ukraine, saying the economic impact on the European Union will far outweigh the effect on Russia.

Ukraine, which had allowed Russian oil and gas to cross its territory to serve Europe while fighting Moscow’s invasion since 2022, refused to renew the deal.

Russian gas exports via Soviet-era pipelines running through Ukraine came to a halt on New Year's Day, marking the end of decades of Moscow's dominance over Europe's energy markets.