Slovakia has expressed outrage over Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's remarks that Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico has opened a "second energy front" with his threats to cut off electricity supplies to Ukraine.

The Slovak Ministry of Foreign Affairs has rejected Volodymyr Zelensky's accusations that Prime Minister Robert Fico is acting under Vladimir Putin's orders to escalate the energy conflict with Ukraine.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday that Russia is open to a Slovakian proposal to host peace talks with Ukraine to end a conflict he said Russia was determined to bring to a conclusion.