Thousands of Slovaks have taken to the streets as protests against the pro-Russia policies of populist Prime Minister Robert Fico spread from Slovakia's capital to towns and cities across the country and abroad.

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.

Slovakia could take retaliatory measures against Ukraine after Kyiv halted the flow of Russian gas through its territory, Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico warned Thursday.

Slovak President Peter Pellegrini refuses to pay an official visit to Kyiv because Ukraine has stopped the transit of Russian gas that Slovakia had been receiving. Source: Slovak publication Aktuality,

Thousands of people protested in cities across Slovakia on Friday evening against the Ukraine policy of Slovakian left-wing populist Prime Minister Robert Fico. The demonstrators accused Fico of following a pro-Russian course and of "betraying" Western allies and neighbouring Ukraine.

Protesters gathered in Bratislava and other Slovak cities on Friday to rally against the government's drive to seek closer ties with Russia despite its invasion of Ukraine.

Slovaks took to the streets of Bratislava to demonstrate their opposition to Prime Minister Robert Fico's stance. They demanded a change in foreign policy and an end to cooperation with Russia. On Friday,

Slovaks flocked to the streets of Bratislava to demonstrate their opposition to Prime Minister Robert Fico's stance. People demanded a change in foreign policy and an end to cooperation with Russia. On Friday,