Fico accused Zelensky of offering a bribe in exchange for support for Ukraine's NATO membership.

He made this statement at the summit in Brussels, reports Politico.

Zelensky criticized Fico's proposal to extend the agreement on the transit of Russian gas through Ukraine. According to him, “it's somewhat shameful to talk about money when we are losing people.”

Following this, the Slovak Prime Minister told reporters that Ukraine is harming the economy of an EU member, and the proposals by Zelensky regarding the resolution of the situation, which he presented behind closed doors, were, in his opinion, “absurd.”

When Fico informed the Ukrainian president that Slovakia could lose about 500 million euros annually from gas transit fees, he allegedly asked the Slovak Prime Minister, “Will I then vote for [Ukraine's] NATO membership if he gives me 500 million euros of Russian assets, and of course, I replied: ‘Never’”.

Previously, Fico also stated that “if Zelensky doesn’t return our gas, it could lead to a serious conflict.”

Transit of Russian Gas through Ukraine

Back in August, Vladimir Zelensky stated that Ukraine does not intend to extend the contract with Russia for gas transit. At the same time, the head of state mentioned that Ukraine is discussing the transit of Azerbaijani gas to the EU.

This caused outrage in Slovakia. Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico personally traveled to Kyiv to persuade the Ukrainian government to extend the transit of Russian gas.

One of Fico's arguments was that if Ukraine “wants to maintain its infrastructure, it must use it.” Additionally, he noted that both countries would benefit from the transit, as Slovakia would pay Ukraine transit fees.

However, Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal explained that imposing sanctions on Russian gas and depriving the RF of the ability to finance the war with it is “Ukraine’s strategic goal.”