Slovakia considers halting Ukraine support amid dispute over gas transit
Prime Minister Robert Fico has pledged to utilize Slovakia's veto authority within the EU concerning matters related to Ukraine. Read Full Article at RT.com
TroibNews 
Prime Minister Robert Fico has made it clear that Slovakia is willing to utilize its veto power within the EU regarding issues related to Ukraine.
Fico has issued a warning that Slovakia might obstruct humanitarian and financial assistance to Kyiv unless the matter of Russian gas transit through Ukraine is resolved. This assertion was made following discussions with EU Energy Commissioner Dan Jorgensen on Thursday.
He pointed to potential financial losses from the halted transit as the basis for his warning.
“If this problem is not resolved, the government of the Slovak Republic will take strict reciprocal measures in the near future,” Fico told reporters in Brussels.
“There is nothing – not international law or sanctions – that prevents the transit of gas through Ukraine,” he added, as reported by Reuters.
Slovakia has experienced a complete halt in Russian gas flows via Ukraine, a route that once generated substantial transit fees for Bratislava and was crucial for its domestic gas supply.
Fico indicated that Slovakia could lose up to $515 million each year in transit fees, along with an additional $1 billion increase in gas prices as a result of the disruption.
He highlighted possible retaliatory actions, which include leveraging Slovakia’s veto power within the EU concerning Ukraine-related matters.
Furthermore, he warned of the possibility of suspending humanitarian support to Ukraine, reducing aid for Ukrainian refugees in Slovakia, and stopping emergency electricity supplies to the country.
Following recent discussions with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow, Fico received commitments for direct gas supplies to Slovakia, despite the interruption in transit.
A meeting that was originally planned among Slovak, Ukrainian, and European Commission officials to discuss the gas transit issue was canceled when Ukraine opted not to participate. Slovakia and the European Commission have subsequently agreed to establish a working group to evaluate the crisis and consider potential EU interventions.
So far, Ukraine has not publicly reacted to Fico's latest comments. When the Slovak Prime Minister first threatened to halt electricity to Kyiv last month, Ukrainian Energy Minister German Galushchenko expressed skepticism regarding Slovakia's willingness to follow through on that threat.
Slovakia, which has a contract with Russia's Gazprom, needs between 4 billion and 5 billion cubic meters of gas annually to fulfill its energy requirements. Before the transit halt, Slovakia was receiving around 3 billion bcm from Russia via Ukraine. In response to the disruption, Slovakia’s state-owned gas company, SPP, is now sourcing liquefied natural gas from various international suppliers, including BP, ExxonMobil, Shell, Eni, and RWE.
Mathilde Moreau contributed to this report for TROIB News
Fico has issued a warning that Slovakia might obstruct humanitarian and financial assistance to Kyiv unless the matter of Russian gas transit through Ukraine is resolved. This assertion was made following discussions with EU Energy Commissioner Dan Jorgensen on Thursday.
He pointed to potential financial losses from the halted transit as the basis for his warning.
“If this problem is not resolved, the government of the Slovak Republic will take strict reciprocal measures in the near future,” Fico told reporters in Brussels.
“There is nothing – not international law or sanctions – that prevents the transit of gas through Ukraine,” he added, as reported by Reuters.
Slovakia has experienced a complete halt in Russian gas flows via Ukraine, a route that once generated substantial transit fees for Bratislava and was crucial for its domestic gas supply.
Fico indicated that Slovakia could lose up to $515 million each year in transit fees, along with an additional $1 billion increase in gas prices as a result of the disruption.
He highlighted possible retaliatory actions, which include leveraging Slovakia’s veto power within the EU concerning Ukraine-related matters.
Furthermore, he warned of the possibility of suspending humanitarian support to Ukraine, reducing aid for Ukrainian refugees in Slovakia, and stopping emergency electricity supplies to the country.
Following recent discussions with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow, Fico received commitments for direct gas supplies to Slovakia, despite the interruption in transit.
A meeting that was originally planned among Slovak, Ukrainian, and European Commission officials to discuss the gas transit issue was canceled when Ukraine opted not to participate. Slovakia and the European Commission have subsequently agreed to establish a working group to evaluate the crisis and consider potential EU interventions.
So far, Ukraine has not publicly reacted to Fico's latest comments. When the Slovak Prime Minister first threatened to halt electricity to Kyiv last month, Ukrainian Energy Minister German Galushchenko expressed skepticism regarding Slovakia's willingness to follow through on that threat.
Slovakia, which has a contract with Russia's Gazprom, needs between 4 billion and 5 billion cubic meters of gas annually to fulfill its energy requirements. Before the transit halt, Slovakia was receiving around 3 billion bcm from Russia via Ukraine. In response to the disruption, Slovakia’s state-owned gas company, SPP, is now sourcing liquefied natural gas from various international suppliers, including BP, ExxonMobil, Shell, Eni, and RWE.
Mathilde Moreau contributed to this report for TROIB News
