MOSCOW, December 25. /TASS/. Russian President Vladimir Putin and Prime Minister of Slovakia Robert Fico discussed options allowing continuation of gas supplies from Russia to interested European countries during the talks in the Kremlin on Sunday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said.

"Fico said straightforwardly that the reason of his arrival, a direct reason, was the upcoming termination of transit of Russian gas via Ukraine, which [Vladimir] Zelensky has repeatedly stated publicly and proudly. [Putin and Fico] discussed options that would allow continuation of gas supplies to countries, which, as Slovakia, as Hungary, and as Austria, as far as I understand, are interested in it, this being their economic interest," he told the 60 Minutes program on Rossiya-1 television.

On December 22, Putin had a meeting with Fico, after which the Slovakian premier said that his visit to Moscow was a response to Vladimir Zelensky’s statement on suspension of gas transit via Ukraine. Putin confirmed Russia’s readiness to continue supplying gas to the west and to Slovakia, which will become next to impossible after January 1, 2025 given the position of the Ukrainian president, Fico added.