EU country's Prime Minister cautions of 'severe consequences' following Kiev’s cessation of gas supply
Slovakia’s leader has criticized “nonsensical geopolitical goals” present within the bloc and cautioned about significant repercussions for smaller nations. Read Full Article at RT.com.
TroibNews 
Slovakia's Prime Minister Robert Fico has voiced significant alarm about Ukraine's decision to cease the transit of Russian gas, highlighting the potential severe consequences for both Slovakia and the European Union at large. This move, which will take effect on January 1, 2025, comes after Ukraine chose not to renew its transit agreement with Russia’s Gazprom.
In a video released on Wednesday, Fico criticized the prevalence of “selfish national interests” and “nonsensical geopolitical goals” in the EU, indicating that the priorities of smaller countries like Slovakia are being marginalized.
“In world politics, it absolutely holds true that it does not matter whether the elephants love or fight each other. The grass always suffers,” he stated. “I do not wish for Slovakia to be such grass, as we see these days with the halt of gas transit through Ukraine, which will have drastic impacts on all of us in the European Union, but not on the Russian Federation.”
He also committed to advancing a foreign policy in 2025 that emphasizes “non-interference in the internal affairs of others” while championing Slovak national interests.
The pipeline that traverses Ukraine supplies Russian gas to Slovakia, which had hoped for a continuous flow and had encouraged Ukraine to extend the transit agreement. Following Ukraine’s decision, Fico threatened last week to cut electricity supplies to the country.
The European Commission has attempted to minimize the significance of the ending gas deal, claiming that the EU's gas infrastructure is flexible enough to support non-Russian gas supplies through alternative routes. Nevertheless, the abrupt cessation has resulted in a spike in gas prices across Europe, with rates hitting €50 per megawatt hour for the first time in over a year.
Sophie Wagner contributed to this report for TROIB News
In a video released on Wednesday, Fico criticized the prevalence of “selfish national interests” and “nonsensical geopolitical goals” in the EU, indicating that the priorities of smaller countries like Slovakia are being marginalized.
“In world politics, it absolutely holds true that it does not matter whether the elephants love or fight each other. The grass always suffers,” he stated. “I do not wish for Slovakia to be such grass, as we see these days with the halt of gas transit through Ukraine, which will have drastic impacts on all of us in the European Union, but not on the Russian Federation.”
He also committed to advancing a foreign policy in 2025 that emphasizes “non-interference in the internal affairs of others” while championing Slovak national interests.
The pipeline that traverses Ukraine supplies Russian gas to Slovakia, which had hoped for a continuous flow and had encouraged Ukraine to extend the transit agreement. Following Ukraine’s decision, Fico threatened last week to cut electricity supplies to the country.
The European Commission has attempted to minimize the significance of the ending gas deal, claiming that the EU's gas infrastructure is flexible enough to support non-Russian gas supplies through alternative routes. Nevertheless, the abrupt cessation has resulted in a spike in gas prices across Europe, with rates hitting €50 per megawatt hour for the first time in over a year.
Sophie Wagner contributed to this report for TROIB News
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