'You were shot. Why didn't you forgive?' Zelensky tells Fico, drawing parallels to Russian aggression

The Slovak government is playing very dangerous game by criticizing military support for Ukraine and getting closer to Russia, President Volodymyr Zelensky said in an interview with the Polish media on Jan. 16.

"The Slovak leaders are playing a very dangerous game. They will continue to do so until the war reaches their own homes," Zelensky said.

The comments come amid a growing rift between Ukraine and Slovakia as Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico threatened Kyiv with repercussions over its decision to halt the Russian gas transit to the EU.

Fico, who visited Moscow in December to discuss gas supply issues with Russian President Vladimir Putin, has also consistently criticized military aid for Ukraine and sanctions against Russia.

Talking to Polish journalists, Zelensky recalled his conversation with the Slovak prime minister during a meeting of European leaders.

"I told him: 'You were shot at. Why didn't you forgive? Why did you arrest this person who injured you?'" Zelensky said, drawing a parallel between the Russian invasion of Ukraine and an assassination attempt on the Slovak prime minister.

Fico was critically injured after being shot in the Slovak town of Handlova on May 15, 2024, following a government meeting. Slovak authorities said that the attack was politically motivated. The suspect, 71-year-old writer Juraj Cintula, has been detained and is awaiting trial.

"I reminded this to him (Fico) and told him that all of us, no matter your positions, condemned such steps because a living person was shot at," Zelensky said.

"And that's Putin. He is the same; he shoots living people, albeit through the hands of others."

Fico will not visit Kyiv, Slovak lawmaker says

The development is the latest in an escalating conflict between Ukraine and Slovakia over Kyiv’s decision to stop Russian gas transit.

The Kyiv IndependentBoldizsar Gyori