Slovakia Warns of Scaling Back Support for Ukrainian Refugees in Gas Transit Dispute
Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico has warned of potential retaliatory measures against Ukraine, including reducing aid to Ukrainian refugees, following Kyiv’s decision to halt the flow of Russian gas through its territory. Tensions rise between Slovakia and Ukraine as Fico critiques the gas transit cessation, which could have significant economic repercussions for both countries.
Slovakia may consider retaliatory actions against Ukraine following Kyiv’s decision to halt the transit of Russian gas through its territory, Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico warned.
In a video message posted to Facebook on Thursday, Fico suggested that his Smer-SSD party could cut electricity exports to Ukraine and reduce support for Ukrainian refugees. Slovakia supplied 2.4 million megawatt-hours of electricity to Ukraine in the first 11 months of 2024, according to data from the country’s grid operator, helping Ukraine address energy shortages caused by Russian attacks on its infrastructure.
On New Year’s Day, Ukraine fulfilled its commitment to stop transporting Russian gas to Europe after a key agreement with Moscow expired. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky hailed the move as one of Moscow’s greatest defeats. However, Fico described the termination of Russian gas flows as sabotage and announced plans to discuss the issue with EU representatives in Brussels next week. He added that his coalition government would consider measures such as halting electricity supplies and significantly reducing aid to Ukrainian citizens in Slovakia.
The only alternative for a sovereign Slovakia is the renewal of transit or the implementation of compensation mechanisms to address a public finance loss of nearly €500 million, Fico stated.
Tensions between Kyiv and Bratislava have risen sharply, with Fico warning that Ukraine’s decision to end Russian gas transit could have a drastic impact on the European Union but not on Russia. He has also argued that the move could lead to higher energy prices across Europe.
The halt in Russian gas flows is expected to cost Ukraine approximately $800 million annually in transit fees, while Russia’s state-owned energy giant Gazprom could lose close to $5 billion in sales, according to Reuters.
On December 22, Fico met Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow, a rare visit by an EU leader since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine began in February 2022. Fico’s stance on the conflict diverges significantly from most European leaders; since his return to power in 2023, he has ceased Slovak military aid to Ukraine, opposed Ukraine’s NATO membership, and criticized EU sanctions against Russia.
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