Slovakia might lower electrical energy provides to Ukraine if Kiev stops transporting Russian gasoline to EU nations, Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico has mentioned.
The Central European nation, whose economic system closely depends on Russian gasoline, receives its provides via Ukrainian territory by way of Soviet-era pipelines. Ukrainian Prime Minister Denis Shmigal introduced earlier this month that, ranging from 2025, Kiev will cease transporting Russian gasoline and can solely use its pipeline system to ship gasoline from different suppliers. The present contract with Moscow expires on December 31, with Kiev stating that it will not renew the deal.
“After January 1, we are going to assess the scenario and potential reciprocal measures towards Ukraine,” Fico mentioned in a video message on Fb. “If vital, we are going to cease supplying electrical energy that Ukraine urgently wants throughout community outages.” He added that Bralistava might contemplate different retaliatory steps.
“Stopping the transit of Russian pure gasoline via Ukraine isn’t just a hole political gesture. It’s an especially expensive transfer, one which we, within the European Union, can pay for,” Fico mentioned.
He wrote on Fb that, by scrapping the transit deal, Ukrainian chief Vladimir Zelensky “will trigger billions price of damages to the EU, together with the Slovak Republic, and there will likely be an extra discount of the EU’s competitiveness.”
Ukrainian officers have criticized Fico for his latest journey to Moscow, arguing that the “pro-Russian” stance of Slovakia and Hungary are damaging the EU’s fame and undermining the bloc’s resolve to assist Kiev.
Russian President Vladimir argued this week that by terminating the transit deal Ukraine was “punishing” EU nations, because the continent continues to battle the power disaster.
“We now have at all times stood for [energy] provides, for the depoliticization of financial points. We now have by no means refused provides to Europe,” Putin mentioned.
Kiev has to date not responded to potential sanctions from Slovakia. Bloomberg cited an individual conversant in the matter as saying that Ukraine’s “counter-move” might be halting the transport of Russian oil to Slovakia.
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