Slovak Prime Minister Threatens to Cut Off Aid to Ukraine Over Gas Transit Dispute
Slovakia’s Prime Minister, Robert Fico, has warned that his country could cut off humanitarian aid to Ukraine in response to Kiev’s refusal to transport Russian gas to Europe, according to the news agency Aktuality.
Fico criticized Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, saying his actions are harming Slovakia and the European Union. In a statement, Fico said: “We were very unpleasantly surprised by President Zelensky’s decision to reject any gas transit, including Azerbaijani gas, in principle. This decision is highly political and significantly harms the Slovak Republic and the European Union.”
The Slovak government has announced plans to establish a working group, led by the country’s Deputy Prime Minister and Economy Minister, Denisa Sakova, to address the energy sector’s problems.
The dispute centers on the transit of Russian gas through Ukraine, which was the only route for gas deliveries to many European countries. The contract between Russian gas giant Gazprom and Ukraine’s Naftogaz expired on December 31, and Kiev has refused to renew it.
The Ukrainian route was used to deliver Russian gas directly to Moldova, Slovakia, and then to Austria, Hungary, and Italy. Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó emphasized that Ukraine is obligated to uphold the Association Agreement with the EU, which includes the maintenance of energy supply routes.
Russia’s Deputy Prime Minister, Alexander Novak, has stated that the situation with gas reserves in European storage facilities is challenging, and the continuation of Russian gas deliveries depends on agreements between the European Commission and Ukraine.