Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico called “sabotage” by Volodymyr Zelensky when Ukraine stopped the transit of gas sent from Russia to the European Union. In the video published on Thursday, he again threatened to cut off electricity supplies to Ukraine, and also spoke about the possibility of limiting support for Ukrainian refugees in Slovakia.
Prime minister Slovakia Robert Fico claims that the suspension of transit did not result in a threat to gas supplies to Slovak households, but only in the loss of revenues from the transmission of gas through Slovak territory further to Western Europe. He estimated it at half a billion euros per year.
Slovakia threatens to suspend energy supplies
The Prime Minister announced that Slovak representatives will talk in Brussels next Tuesday about suspending transit. According to some sources, representatives will participate in the meeting UkraineSlovakia and the European Commission.
After these talks, Fico wants to convene a meeting of the ruling coalition, and later of his cabinet, regarding a possible suspension of electricity supplies and a significant reduction in support for Ukrainian citizens residing in the territory of the Slovak Republic.
It is estimated that there are approximately 140,000 people in Slovakia. refugees from Ukraine who left their country because of the Russian invasion. There are approximately 64,000 working people and students.
Ukrainians in Slovakia benefit from various aid programs, which the authorities limited in 2024 by adjusting their amount or duration of support. The last correction from autumn limited the subsidy for housing costs from 120 to 60 days. Non-governmental organizations estimated that the cut directly affected 15,000. people.
Ukraine's “historic” decision
On January 1, in a statement, the Ministry of Energy in Kiev announced that at 7 a.m. local time (6 a.m. in Poland), “in the interest of national security”, Ukraine suspended the transit of Russian gas through its territory. – We have suspended the transit of Russian gas. This is a historical event. Russia is losing markets and will also suffer financial losses. Europe has already decided to give up Russian raw material, announced Energy Minister Herman Hałuszczenko.
Russian state-owned company Gazprom on Wednesday morning announced that it had been “deprived of the technical and legal possibilities to supply gas through Ukraine.” “On January 1, 2025, at 8 a.m. Moscow time (6 a.m. in Poland), the validity period of the documents signed on December 30, 2019 between Gazprom and Naftogaz regarding the transit of Russian gas through the territory of Ukraine expired,” Gazprom reported, adding that “from 8 a.m. Moscow, there are no deliveries of Russian gas for transit through Ukraine.
Most Russian gas routes to Europe, including the Yamal-Europe gas pipeline (via Belarus) and the Nord Stream gas pipeline (in the Baltic Sea), has been closed.
Main photo source: JEON HEON-KYUN/PAP