By Yuliia Dysa (Reuters) -Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy on Monday blasted Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico over his reluctance to end his country's dependency on Russian gas, calling it a "big security issue" for Europe and saying Fico declined compensation.

The President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, criticized the Prime Minister of Slovakia, Robert Fico, for rejecting a proposal for compensation related to halting the transit of Russian gas. Zelensky accused Fico of endangering Europe’s security and indirectly supporting Russia.

The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry accused Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico of posing a threat to Europe through his ties with Russian President Vladimir Putin, in a statement issued on Dec. 23. The criticism followed Fico's meeting with Putin in Moscow on Dec.