Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico criticized the tacit acceptance of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s unilateral decision to halt the transit of Russian gas, calling it wrong, irrational, and likely to escalate tensions and provoke reciprocal measures. In an open letter addressed to the EU on Sunday, Fico stated that alternative options to Russian gas transit had been presented to Ukraine but were rejected by Kyiv.
On the same day, the web portal RBK-Ukrajina reported that Kyiv had reached out to European authorities in response to Fico's statements, in which he warned of halting electricity supplies to Ukraine if Kyiv stops the transit of Russian natural gas to Slovakia after the New Year. Energy Minister Herman Halushchenko emphasized that EU countries should respect existing agreements.
In response, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy accused Fico of opening a second energy front against Ukraine under the orders of Russian President Vladimir Putin. This followed Fico’s earlier warning on Friday, where he threatened retaliatory measures, including cutting off electricity supplies if Ukraine halts the Russian gas transit.
Kyiv argues that the gas payments contribute to funding Russia’s military campaign in Ukraine. However, Fico contends that alternative routes would significantly increase costs and harm Slovakia’s profits from gas transit.
Source: STVR, ČTK, TASR
