Slovakia’s prime minister held surprise talks with Vladimir Putin on Sunday amid a stand-off with Ukraine over gas supplies.

The Kremlin said the Russian president and Robert Fico were meeting “one-on-one” and were expected to discuss the transit of Russian gas through Ukraine.

It comes after Mr Fico’s own showdown talks with Volodymyr Zelensky over the Ukrainian president’s plans to cut off the gas supply.

Kyiv has decided against the renewal of a transit contract with Moscow, which expires at the end of the year.

Slovakia is dependent on supplies of Russian gas transiting through neighbouring Ukraine, and has appealed for the deal to be extended into 2025.

Mr Zelensky said on Monday: “Why is this leader so dependent on Moscow? What is being paid to him, and what does he pay with?”

He has previously accused Mr Fico of profiting from the $500 million (£400 million) of Russian gas which Slovakia imports annually.

The Slovakian has argued it would cost his country $229 million extra to buy the same amount of gas from elsewhere.