Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy on Monday criticised what he said was Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico's lack of desire to end his country's dependency on Russian natural resources as a "big security issue" for Europe and Slovakia.

Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico met Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow on Sunday. The premier's trip came a little more than a week before the expiry of a transit contract between Moscow and Ukraine that allows about 15 billion cubic meters of Russian pipeline gas per year to be shipped to a number of European nations.

The situation with European countries that buy Russian gas is very complicated and requires increased attention, the Kremlin said on Monday after talks the previous day between President Vladimir Putin and Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico is weakening Europe by helping Russia's leader Vladimir Putin finance its war against Ukraine.

Russia said on Monday that the situation with European countries that buy its gas through a transit deal via Ukraine is very complicated and needs more attention, after talks between President Vladimir Putin and Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico.

The Kremlin called European gas shipments “very complicated” and requiring “increased attention” on Monday, a day after Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico held a surprise meeting with President Vladimir Putin in Moscow to discuss energy and the war in Ukraine.

Russian President Vladimir Putin held surprise talks with Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico at the Kremlin on Sunday to discuss the future of Russian gas deliveries. Fico ended military aid to Ukraine when he became prime minister again in October 2023.