PMs of Slovakia, Ukraine condemn deal to expand direct pipeline for Russian gas to Germany

Slovak President Andrej Kiska, right, and Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk, left, pose before their meeting in Bratislava, Slovakia, Thursday, Sep. 10, 2015. (/Martin Mikula/CTK via AP) SLOVAKIA OUT (The Associated Press)

Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico, right, welcomes Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk before their meeting in Bratislava, Slovakia, Thursday, Sept. 10, 2015. (/Martin Mikula/CTK photo via AP) SLOVAKIA OUT (The Associated Press)

BRATISLAVA, Slovakia – The prime ministers of Slovakia and Ukraine are condemning a recent deal to expand a pipeline that delivers natural gas directly from Russia to Germany.

After their Thursday meeting, Ukraine's Arseniy Yatsenyuk called the plan known as Nord Stream-2 "an anti-European and anti-Ukrainian project," while his Slovak counterpart Robert Fico said his country feels betrayed.

An agreement between Russian giant Gazprom and energy companies from Western EU countries is meant to expand the current Nord Stream pipeline under the Baltic Sea that directly links Germany with Siberia's natural gas reserves.

As the pipeline bypasses both Ukraine and Slovakia, the traditional transit countries for Russian gas to Europe, Yatsenyuk said his country would lose $2 billion and Slovakia $800 million in transit fees.

The project was also criticized by Poland.