Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday that more needed to be done to clean up an oil spill in the Black Sea, saying efforts so far appeared to have been insufficient to deal with the ecological disaster.

President Vladimir Putin on Thursday criticized Russian officials for their slow response to what he described as the country’s most serious environmental disaster in recent memory. “This is practically one of the most serious environmental challenges we’ve faced in recent years,

Prime Minister Robert Fico said on Wednesday he had secured Slovakia's gas supply during a visit to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow last month, just before Ukraine halted the transit of gas from Russia at the start of 2025.

Fico has accused Kyiv of damaging Slovakia by not extending a gas transit deal with Russia. He has threatened to retaliate by cutting emergency electricity supplies to Ukraine and on Thursday said the government could also halt humanitarian aid or use its veto right in the European Union related to Ukraine issues.

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,