Fico threatens Ukraine over the halt of Russian gas transit.
Slovakia is considering measures against Ukraine if the transit of Russian gas through its territory is halted. Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico expressed his outrage at President Volodymyr Zelensky's decision not to extend the transit contract between Ukraine and Russia after its expiration on January 1, 2025. According to Fico, he was surprised by Zelensky's stance, which refused to allow the transit of Russian gas without guarantees that the Kremlin would not gain financial benefits amidst the ongoing war.
He emphasized that Slovakia, which heavily relies on Russian gas, has offered alternative mechanisms, as reported by Bloomberg. This includes transferring ownership rights of the gas before it enters Ukraine. However, the Ukrainian side rejected these proposals.
"Ukraine has no right to violate the economic interests of an EU member state," the prime minister stated, hinting at possible actions against Kyiv during the holiday season.
The publication reminds that despite the disagreements, Slovakia continues to supply Ukraine with electricity, humanitarian aid, and private arms deliveries. At the same time, Fico's government does not support military aid from state reserves and opposes Ukraine's NATO membership.
Fico plans to hold consultations with the European Commission in the coming days in search of a compromise. He expressed hope for a more constructive dialogue with the Ukrainian side, particularly with Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal.
Human lives are more important than economic interests, - Zelensky
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated that Ukraine will not accept any transit options that would allow Russia to continue profiting.
"I clearly explained to him (Robert Fico, - Ed.): if it’s gas from another country, we need to know. We don’t want to play games where another country receives gas from Russia and then transits its own gas. That’s essentially continuing to profit from this war and passing money to Russia. And if a European country is willing to receive gas without paying Russia until the war ends - that’s something to consider," the Ukrainian president said during his speech at the European Council meeting.
President Zelensky also stressed that security and humanitarian issues remain a priority for Kyiv. He noted that Ukraine suffers much greater losses due to Russian aggression, particularly due to the occupation of a nuclear power plant by Russia.
"By the way, when Slovakia raised this issue today, saying it might lose some money. Ukraine is losing much more - far more. Although, to be honest, during wartime it’s even shameful to talk about money because Ukraine is losing people. But if we want to speak pragmatically, Ukraine is losing much more in energy due to this war. Because Russia has taken over the nuclear power station — six megawatts. We had enough before, and now we have a significant deficit," Zelensky added.
Meanwhile, Slovakia has already received its first gas supplies from the Azerbaijani company SOCAR. This was made possible by a pilot agreement aimed at energy diversification.
Earlier, Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal confirmed during a meeting with Robert Fico in October that the agreement for the transit of Russian gas will not be extended after its expiration. The Slovak prime minister also added that the country’s government supports President Zelensky's "peace plan." Fico stated that he is not opposed to the Ukrainian president’s "peace formula," as Slovaks are interested in friendly neighborly relations.