EGN NEWS DESK
Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico is threatening retaliatory measures towards Ukraine if Kyiv stops Russian gasoline transit to Slovakia as of Jan. 1.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy final week stated his authorities “wouldn’t extend the transit of Russian gasoline” as soon as the present contract expires on the finish of this yr. Zelenskyy accused Fico of serving to Russian President Vladimir Putin finance his invasion of Ukraine by purchases of pure gasoline from Russia.
“After Jan. 1, we are going to take into account the state of affairs and the opportunity of reciprocal measures towards Ukraine,” Fico stated in a video posted on Facebook Friday. ” If it’s unavoidable, we are going to cease the provision of electrical energy, which Ukraine urgently wants within the occasion of grid failures,” he stated.
Fico stated that the tip of the Russian gasoline transit will drive up prices for the EU and hit the bloc’s competitiveness. It would additionally enhance power costs in Slovakia, he stated.
“But who cares about Slovakia, proper, Mr. Zelenskyy? But while you want one thing to maintain you from freezing within the winter, you scream in frustration,” Fico hit out on the Ukrainian chief.
Kyiv has refused to resume a transit cope with Russian state power large Gazprom that permits Moscow to ship provides of pure gasoline by its community of pipelines to nations like Slovakia and Hungary. Putin additionally has stated he expects the contract to come back to an finish.
Ukraine has as an alternative provided its personal home gasoline manufacturing as a substitute for its neighbors.
Slovakia and Hungary, led by the Russia-friendly Fico and Viktor Orbán, have been for months making an attempt to persuade Kyiv to resume the gasoline deal, signed between Russia and Ukraine in 2019.
The two nations argue that the tip of the deal would threaten their safety of provide and will hike power costs within the depths of winter. They have requested the European Commission to assist their efforts. The EU has dominated out serving to negotiate an extension.
Fico met with Putin in Moscow in a shock go to over the Christmas holidays to debate gasoline provides, prompting Zelenskyy to cost the Slovakian chief with weakening Europe by serving to Putin. A senior adviser to Zelenskyy informed POLITICO final week that Kyiv estimates Slovakia earns round half a billion {dollars} a yr from entry to discounted Russian gasoline.
Since coming into the workplace final yr, Fico has emerged as an advocate for Putin and for Russia throughout the European Union, vowing to dam Ukraine from becoming a member of NATO and refusing to ship “one other bullet” of state navy support to Kyiv.
