Politics

Zelenskyy responds to Fico’s accusations about Russian gas transit.

12 January 2025 19:26
Zelenskyy, Putin and Fico / Photo by the Presidential Administration, Facebook/Robert Fico
Zelenskyy, Putin and Fico / Photo by the Presidential Administration, Facebook/Robert Fico

The dispute between Ukraine and Slovakia over the transit of Russian gas through Ukrainian territory is gaining momentum. Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico said that his government will put pressure on Ukraine to restore the flow of gas from east to west.

Fico’s statement
Speaking on Slovak TV channel TAZ, Fico said that Ukraine is allegedly losing 800 million euros due to the suspension of transit, which, according to him, also threatens the competitiveness of the European Union.

‘If we don’t work on importing a certain amount of gas from the east through Ukraine, we will see a gas shortage and a huge increase in prices in Europe,’ he said.

The prime minister also said that starting on Monday, a special group, which includes Slovak Economy Minister Denisа Sakovа, will deal with the issue.

Zelenskyy’s reaction
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy responded to the Slovak PM’s statements on X (formerly Twitter). He stressed that the responsibility for energy challenges in Slovakia lies with Fico, not Ukraine.

‘It is good that Slovak Prime Minister Fico has already returned from his holiday in Vietnam and is now trying to correct his own mistakes,’ Zelenskyy said.

The President emphasised that Ukraine had offered to help Slovakia overcome the consequences of the termination of Russian gas transit, but Fico had refused.

‘It was his mistake to rely on Moscow, not on a united Europe and common sense,’ Zelenskyy stressed.

He also expressed hope that further diversification of energy supplies, in particular through increased imports of American gas, would help Europe to solve the problems caused by its dependence on Russia.

Context
The situation around gas transit is sensitive for both sides. Stopping Russian gas supplies through Ukraine was part of the energy policy aimed at reducing the EU’s dependence on Moscow. At the same time, the Slovak government has been criticised for its lack of active efforts to diversify energy resources, which creates internal pressure in the country.


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