BRATISLAVA (Reuters) - 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.

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.

By Albin Sybera Slovakia’s populist Prime Minister Robert Fico has stepped up his anti-Ukrainian rhetoric, saying that Slovakia could halt all its humanitarian aid for Ukraine and Ukrainians in Slovakia,

Slovakia’s Prime Minister Robert Fico said he wasn’t ruling out the resumption of gas through Ukraine after a deal between Kyiv and Moscow expired at the beginning of this year.

Slovakia is weighing retaliation against Ukraine including withholding aid if a solution is not found to Kyiv's decision to shut off Russian gas, Prime Minister Robert Fico said on Thursday after talks with EU Energy Commissioner Dan Jorgensen.

Slovakia may halt humanitarian aid and emergency electricity supplies to Ukraine and leverage its veto power in EU matters should Kyiv not resume gas flows through its territory, Prime Minister Robert Fico said in Brussels today.

Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico railed on Thursday against Ukraine's decision to cut off the transit of Russian gas to the European Union, repeating his warnings of possible retaliation against Kiev.

Fico said that Slovakia could halt its humanitarian aid to Ukraine, cut or cancel social benefits for Ukrainian refugees, and cease emergency electricity supplies to Ukraine. He also suggested using veto power over EU decisions as leverage against Kyiv.