According to Reuters, Russia’s Gazprom Group has a 5-year agreement to supply gas to European countries, including Slovakia, via the Druzhba pipeline through Ukraine. The agreement will expire on December 31, while Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced at the European Union (EU) summit last week that it would not extend due to Russia’s military campaign in the country. Slovakia, an EU and NATO member, estimates that importing gas from other sources could cost an additional 220 million euros in transportation costs.
Austria stopped buying, Russian gas is still not afraid of shortages
The Kremlin only confirmed that Mr. Fico had a working visit to Moscow and held talks with President Putin. According to the page The Kyiv IndependentPrime Minister Fico said he discussed gas supply, war in Ukraine, and standardization of Slovak-Russian relations with President Putin. Mr. Fico said that the meeting was a “response” to President Zelensky’s refusal to extend the agreement. “President Putin confirmed his readiness to continue supplying gas to the West and Slovakia from January 1, 2025, which is practically impossible from the perspective of the President of Ukraine,” Mr. Fico wrote on Facebook after the meeting. . On the other hand, Mr. Fico accused Ukraine of supporting sanctions on Russia’s nuclear program, causing financial damage to Slovakia and threatening electricity production at his country’s nuclear power plants.
Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico met Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow on December 22
Mr. Fico is the third EU leader to visit Russia since Moscow launched its military campaign in Ukraine in February 2022, after Austrian Prime Minister Karl Nehammer and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban. The Slovak opposition called Mr. Fico’s visit a “disgrace” but the prime minister claimed to have informed EU leaders in advance. After becoming prime minister in October 2023, Mr. Fico cut off Slovakia’s military aid to Ukraine and vowed to prevent Kyiv from joining NATO. Like Prime Minister Orban of Hungary, Mr. Fico opposes sanctions and calls for peaceful dialogue with Russia. Slovakia and Hungary are both dependent on gas from Russia despite the EU’s efforts to diversify supplies since the conflict broke out in Ukraine.
Ukraine’s decision to let the gas supply agreement expire has sparked collective opposition from the state energy companies of Slovakia, Hungary, Italy and Austria.
