Russian president Putin meets Slovak PM as Ukraine gas transit contract nears expiry

Russian President Vladimir Putin met Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico in the Kremlin on Sunday, Russian television presenter Pavel Zarubin said, as a contract allowing for Russian gas to transit through Ukraine nears its expiry date.

Slovakia is dependent on gas passing through Ukraine and Fico has criticised Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for refusing to extend the contract, which expires at the end of the year.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, shown in a video posted on Zarubin's account on the Telegram messaging app, said the discussions were sure to focus on gas transit and the current international situation.

He said the Kremlin meeting had been arranged "a few days ago."

The Slovak government office could not be immediately reached for comment and did not immediately reply to emailed questions.

Ukraine has repeatedly said it would not extend the transit deal with Russia nearly 34 months into a war between the neighbours.

Slovakia, which has a long-term contract with Russian giant Gazprom, has been trying to keep receiving gas through Ukraine, saying buying elsewhere would cost it 220 million euros ($229 million) more in transit expenses.

Fico pushed the subject on Thursday at a European Union summit in Brussels, which was also attended by Zelenskyy, who reiterated that his country would not continue the transit of Russian gas.