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The dispute over gas transit between Ukraine and Slovakia deepens

2024-12-28 16:20:00, Kosova & Bota CNA

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy on Saturday accused Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico of launching a "second energy front" against Ukraine at the behest of Russia, signaling a deepening dispute over gas transit between the two countries.

Ukraine allows Russian natural gas to pass through its territory to some European countries, including Slovakia, but is expected to halt the flow when the existing transit agreement - signed before the start of Russian aggression against Ukraine - expires at the end of the year.

Prime Minister Fico, who visited Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow earlier this week, said on Friday that Slovakia would consider reciprocal measures against Ukraine, such as stopping back-up electricity supplies if Kiev stops gas transit from January 1.

"It seems that Putin gave Fico the order to open a second energy front against Ukraine at the expense of the interests of the Slovak people," writes Mr. Zelenskiy on the X social media platform.

Slovakia wants Russian gas supplies via Ukraine to continue, saying alternative routes would raise costs and hurt its transit operations, causing it to lose 500 million euros in fees.

Ukraine has said it will not sign any new gas transit deal with Moscow because of the war launched by Russia in February 2022.

Ukraine has been forced to import electricity from some of its neighbors since Russia began targeting its power grid in late 2022, damaging or destroying much of the country's non-nuclear generation capacity.

Mr Zelenskiy said that electricity from Slovakia currently accounts for 19% of Ukraine's electricity imports and that Ukraine is working with its European Union neighbors to increase supply.

"Slovakia is part of the unified European energy market and Fico must respect the common European rules," he said, adding that cutting off electricity supplies to Ukraine would deprive Slovakia of $200 million a year.

Ukraine's foreign ministry said in a statement that Mr Fico was siding with Putin with "nonsensical threats" to cut energy imports to Ukraine.

Since taking office in 2023, Prime Minister Fico has been one of the EU's most outspoken opponents of military aid to Ukraine. After his talks in Moscow, Mr Fico said Russian President Putin had confirmed Russia's willingness to continue supplying Slovakia with gas, although this would become "practically impossible" after the transit agreement expires./ VOA