The United Nations Refugee Agency said there were just over 130,000 Ukrainian refugees in Slovakia as of December 8.

Despite EU efforts to reduce dependence on Russian fossil fuels, Slovakia remains reliant on Russian gas under a long-term contract with Russia's state-owned energy giant Gazprom. Switching to alternative supply routes could cost Slovakia an additional €220 million ($229 million) in transit fees.

Slovakia will consider reciprocal measures against Ukraine such as halting back-up electricity supplies after Jan. 1 if Kyiv, as expected, stops the transit of Russian gas to Slovakia, Prime Minister Robert Fico said on Friday.

Russia's Foreign Ministry blamed the U.S. for the decision, saying it will impact "the standard of living of European citizens."

A Ukrainian pipeline supplying Russian natural gas to Europe was closed Wednesday after Ukraine declined to renew the deal keeping it open.

Angered by Ukraine's transit stoppage for Russian gas, Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico is threatening to take measures against Ukrainian refugees. Speaking in the capital Bratislava on Thursday,

Austria has insisted it is well prepared for the stoppage, but Slovakia has threatened to cut electricity supplies to neighboring Ukraine.

Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico has announced that his government may reduce support for Ukrainian refugees and stop electricity supplies to Ukraine in response to the halt in Russian gas transit through Ukraine.

Russia ceased sending natural gas to Europe through pipelines in Ukraine Wednesday, after Kyiv refused to renew a prewar transit contract with Russia's state-owned Gazprom. The closure of the Soviet-era pipelines effectively ends "decades of Moscow's dominance over Europe's energy markets,