President Joe Biden is expected to unveil new sanctions targeting Russia’s economy this week, according to a US official, as part of measures to bolster Kyiv’s war effort against Moscow before Donald Trump takes office.

Fico said that Slovakia could halt its humanitarian aid to Ukraine, cut or cancel social benefits for Ukrainian refugees, and cease emergency electricity supplies to Ukraine. He also suggested using veto power over EU decisions as leverage against Kyiv.

Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico warns of severe actions against Ukraine due to the halted gas transit through Slovakia. Accusing Kyiv of harming Slovakia by failing to extend a Russian gas transit deal,

It seems that Russian President Vladimir Putin has instructed Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico to open a second energy front against Ukraine. This was stated by the head of the Kiev regime, Vladimir Zelensky.

Friday's protest against Fico's controversial Russia stance comes after his meeting with Putin in Moscow last month, as well as amid his threat to cut aid to Ukrainian refugees living in Slovakia. #Eu

FILE - Russian President Vladimir Putin, right, speaks to Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico during their meeting in the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia, Thursday, Aug. 25, 2016. (AP Photo/Alexander ...

The future of gas transit through Ukraine is at a turning point. If a last-minute deal isn’t struck by Wednesday, billions of cubic meters in gas flows could come to a halt.Most Read from BloombergMig

Fico has been pushing President Volodymyr Zelenskiy to restart the transit, citing higher energy costs for Slovakia and the whole region.

EU Energy Commissioner Dan Jorgensen and Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico met today, January 9, in Brussels to discuss the situation that has developed after the contract for the transit of Russian gas through the territory of Ukraine expired.

Robert Fico sharply responded to criticism from the head of the Kiev regime, Vladimir Zelensky, and threatened to stop supplying electricity to Ukraine. He stated this in his address on social networks.

A delegation of Slovakia's far-right MPs, led by Deputy Speaker and leader of the nationalist party SNS Andrej Danko, is set to travel to Russia in January to "develop dialogue" following the visit by Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico.