Slovak PM accuses Ukraine of "sabotage" over gas transit halt
Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico has criticized Ukraine's decision to halt the transit of gas supplied from Russia to the EU, calling it "Zelensky's sabotage." In a video released on Thursday, he reiterated his threat to cut off electricity supplies to Ukraine and discussed possibly reducing support for Ukrainian refugees in Slovakia.
Fico claims the transit halt does not threaten gas supplies to Slovak households but only results in a loss of revenue from gas transmission through Slovakia into Western Europe, estimated at half a billion euros annually.
The Prime Minister announced that Slovak representatives will discuss the transit halt in Brussels next Tuesday. According to some sources, representatives from Ukraine, Slovakia, and the European Commission will attend the meeting. Following these talks, Fico plans to convene a meeting of the ruling coalition and later his cabinet to discuss the potential halting of electricity supplies and a significant reduction in support for Ukrainian citizens residing in Slovakia.
It is estimated that about 140,000 Ukrainian refugees are in Slovakia, having left their country due to the Russian invasion. Approximately 64,000 of them are workers and students. Ukrainians in Slovakia benefit from various aid programs, which are being scaled back in 2024 by adjusting amounts or duration of support.
The latest adjustment, implemented in the autumn, reduced the funding for living costs from 120 to 60 days. Non-governmental organizations estimate that the cut directly affected 15,000 people.
Gas from Russia has stopped flowing
On Wednesday, the Russian company Gazprom announced the cessation of gas exports to Europe through Ukraine starting at 8 AM Moscow time, coinciding with the expiration of the transit agreement. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky justified the decision not to extend the agreement by stating that he did not want Russia to continue profiting from the blood of Ukrainian citizens.
Last Friday, Fico threatened Ukraine with a halt to electricity supplies if Kyiv stopped the transit of Russian gas to his country. - If it's inevitable, we will stop electricity supplies, which Ukraine urgently needs during network interruptions, Fico declared in a video released online.
In the same statement, the Prime Minister asserted that Slovakia is a suitable country to host any peace negotiations concerning the Ukrainian-Russian conflict. - If anyone reaches out to us to organize peace negotiations on Slovakia's soil regarding the Ukrainian-Russian conflict, they can count on our hospitality – said Fico. He added that he had discussed this topic with Vladimir Putin and was pleased with his positive reaction.
In his New Year's address, Fico also criticized the actions and declarations of the Ukrainian President, stating that Zelensky rejects proposed ceasefires. According to Fico, Volodymyr Zelensky is leading Ukraine into disaster. - Ukraine's negotiating position deteriorates daily, and Ukraine will pay a huge price for this Western adventure in the form of territorial loss and foreign military presence – summed up the Slovak Prime Minister.
He also announced that in January, he will make an official visit to Turkey, and in February, he will meet with the Pope at the Vatican, where he will make efforts to resolve the war conflict in Ukraine.
The Sunday before Christmas, Robert Fico met with Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Kremlin. The topics of the meeting included gas supplies. Fico is the only EU leader, alongside Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who maintains contact with Putin despite Russia's aggression against Ukraine.
