Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico has declined President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's invitation to visit Kyiv for discussions on gas transit. Source: TASS, a Kremlin-aligned Russian news outlet, citing Slovak Parliament Deputy Speaker Tibor Gašpar,

Thousands of protesters in the Slovak capital held banners and chanted slogans on Friday accusing Prime Minister Robert Fico of dragging the country towards Russia after he met President Vladimir Putin last month amid a gas dispute with Ukraine.

Russia has long used its plentiful energy resources as a tool to exert control over the region, where independence from Russian energy is tied to political sovereignty.

Thousands of Slovaks have taken to the streets as protests against the pro-Russia policies of populist Prime Minister Robert Fico spread from Slovakia's capital to towns and cities across the country and abroad.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy declares that discussions on normalizing relations with the Russian Federation are unacceptable, commenting on the statements of Slovak politicians, and stressed the need to condemn aggression.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has responded to Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico, who earlier today suggested that the Ukrainian leader meet and discuss the

FILE - Russian President Vladimir Putin, right, speaks to Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico during their meeting in the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia, Thursday, Aug. 25, 2016. (AP Photo/Alexander ...

A delegation of Slovakia's far-right MPs, led by Deputy Speaker and leader of the nationalist party SNS Andrej Danko, is set to travel to Russia in January to "develop dialogue" following the visit by Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico.

Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico called Ukraine an unreliable partner and accused President Volodymyr Zelensky of blackmailing European leaders for support at a parliamentary meeting on Jan. 10.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy discussed energy security with Slovakia's opposition leader in Kyiv on Friday, amid a row with Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico who has threatened to cut aid to Ukraine.

Volodymyr Zelensky jokingly responded to the latest statement by the Slovak Prime Minister, Robert Fico, about a possible meeting at the World Economic Forum in Davos, noting that he allegedly constantly misses his destinations whenever he travels somewhere.