Russian President Vladimir Putin promised Slovakia that Russia's Gazprom would find alternative ways to deliver contracted gas to Slovakia after the end of transit through Ukraine, Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico said on Friday.

Prime Minister of Slovakia Robert Fico stated that he had secured the gas supply to Slovakia during his trip to Vladimir Putin in Moscow at the end of December before Ukraine stopped the gas transit,

Robert Fico meets with the Russian president amid concerns about his country's gas supplies, and at a time when Slovakia is withdrawing support for Ukraine's war effort.

Slovaks took to the streets of Bratislava to demonstrate their opposition to Prime Minister Robert Fico's stance. They demanded a change in foreign policy and an end to cooperation with Russia. On Friday,

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.

Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico said Russia will if necessary deliver gas to cover the country’s domestic consumption this year, even as he seeks to restore fuel flows via Ukraine.

Thousands of people protested in cities across Slovakia on Friday evening against the Ukraine policy of Slovakian left-wing populist Prime Minister Robert Fico. The demonstrators accused Fico of following a pro-Russian course and of "betraying" Western allies and neighbouring Ukraine.