Protest in Bratislava – “Slovakia is Europe”. Photo: Jaroslav Novak / AP / Profimedia
Thousands of protesters took to the streets in Bratislava on Friday, accusing Prime Minister Robert Fico of pushing Slovakia closer to Russia after he met with President Vladimir Putin last month amid a gas dispute with Ukraine.
Slovakia is now in a tense relationship with Ukraine over its decision to stop the transit of Russian gas through its territory from January 1.
Slovakia wanted to continue receiving on this route, and Fico met Putin in Moscow on December 22 after Volodymyr Zelenskiy rejected the idea of extending the transit agreement through Ukrainian territory.
The visit to Moscow was only the third by an EU head of government since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022.
“Slovakia is Europe, we are not Russia,” declared one of the organizers of the crowd, who waved Slovak and EU flags, carried signs saying “Slovakia stands with Ukraine ” and chanted “Enough with Russia!”
“I’m worried that our government is turning us towards Russia and … it’s not on the side of the citizens,” said Barbara Fandelova, 45, a marketing specialist.
Organizers estimated that 15,000 people protested in Bratislava, filling the city center square.
Bratislava says: Slovakia is Europe pic.twitter.com/Ceu5vK6jWT
— Current on Ukraine (@oukrajine) January 10, 2025
Mass demonstrations against Putin’s puppet in Bratislava, Slovakia.
The people of Bratislava demand that Fico resign and move to Moscow.pic.twitter.com/smDZ9DcamR
— Foreign Policy (@ForeignpolicyWB) January 10, 2025
Fico said stopping gas through Ukraine would cost Slovakia around 1.5 billion euros in lost taxes on flows going further to Europe and higher gas prices.
Fico threatened to take retaliatory measures eventually reducing humanitarian aid to Kiev, ending support for Ukrainian refugees in Slovakia, or ceasing the supply of emergency electricity to Ukraine.
Since coming to power in 2023, Fico has changed Slovakia’s EU and NATO foreign policy, tightening ties with Russia and refusing to provide military aid to Ukraine.
Friday, he said that Putin promised that Gazprom would find alternative ways to bring gas to Slovakia.
About 13.5 billion cubic meters of gas passed through Ukraine last year, including about 3 billion cubic meters for Slovak consumption.
The EU has said there is no need to extend the transit contract through Ukraine and that countries receiving Russian gas have access to alternative sources of supply.
The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry said on Friday that the problem was Russia and the unwillingness of “certain politicians” to reduce dependence on Moscow.
