Slovakia could take retaliatory measures against Ukraine after Kyiv halted the flow of Russian gas through its territory, Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico warned Thursday.

A meeting between Slovak, Ukrainian and European Commission officials over gas supplies planned for Tuesday has been cancelled because Kyiv will not participate, Slovakia said on Monday.

Claims Kyiv torpedoed talks on energy supplies don’t reflect reality, the country’s EU ambassador told POLITICO.

By Albin Sybera in Bratislava Russian gas flows via the Brotherhood pipeline across Ukraine will end at midnight on December 31, cutting the last operating direct pipeline link from Russia to the West.

The United Nations Refugee Agency said there were just over 130,000 Ukrainian refugees in Slovakia as of December 8.

Angered by Ukraine's transit stoppage for Russian gas, Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico is threatening to take measures against Ukrainian refugees. Speaking in the capital Bratislava on Thursday,

Despite EU efforts to reduce dependence on Russian fossil fuels, Slovakia remains reliant on Russian gas under a long-term contract with Russia's state-owned energy giant Gazprom. Switching to alternative supply routes could cost Slovakia an additional €220 million ($229 million) in transit fees.

Slovakia's Prime Minister Robert Fico has threatened to cut financial support for more than 130,000 Ukrainian refugees as a dispute with Ukraine over Russian gas supplies escalates. On 1 January, Kyiv shut off a pipeline that for decades was used to supply Central Europe with Russian natural gas.

Russia halted gas supplies to Europe after Ukraine declined to renew a transit deal. Slovakia is considering retaliation against Ukraine. While the EU claims no immediate energy crisis, non-EU countries like Moldova face severe shortages and heating issues,