Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico said that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy allegedly offered him a bribe of EUR 500 million from russian assets in exchange for supporting Ukraine's NATO membership.
This was reported by Politico.
Fico claims that during a meeting with Zelenskyy at the European Union summit, they discussed Slovakia's financial losses due to the suspension of russian gas transit.
"Fico said that after he told Zelenskyy that Slovakia could lose about EUR 500 million in gas transit fees per year, the Ukrainian President "asked me if I would vote for NATO membership if he gave me EUR 500 million of russian assets, and of course I said, 'never.'"
Fico told reporters that Zelenskyy's proposals, made behind closed doors, were "absurd" and suggested that Ukraine had allowed itself to harm the economy of an EU member.
"We are clearly facing a gas crisis thanks to President Zelenskyy," the Slovak Prime Minister said during a press conference on the eve of the summit, without specifying what he meant.
The day before, Slovak media reported, Fico spoke about a conversation with Zelenskyy regarding the transit of russian gas through Ukraine.
"We have differences on the issue of gas transit through Ukraine. I asked him if he would be ready to transit other gas than russian," Fico said.
Zelenskyy, he said, ruled out the possibility that Ukraine could transit any gas.
"He asked if we could imagine paying for gas that finances a war," Fico described the conversation.
"We see no reason to pay more for gas due to geopolitical circumstances," the Slovak Prime Minister said at a press conference on December 13, accusing the West of putting pressure on gas transit.
Zelenskyy criticized Slovakia, saying: "It's shameful to talk about money because we are losing people."
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