Slovakia’s coalition authorities will talk about retaliatory measures to take towards Ukraine after it halted the circulation of Russian gasoline by way of its territory to Slovakia, Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico mentioned on Thursday.
Fico mentioned in a video message posted on Fb that his Smer occasion would contemplate slicing electrical energy provides to Ukraine, reducing support to Ukrainian refugees, and demanding the renewal of gasoline transits or compensation for losses he mentioned Slovakia had suffered because of the ending of Russian gasoline flows.
Russian gasoline exports through Soviet-era pipelines operating by way of Ukraine got here to a halt on New 12 months’s Day, marking the top of a long time of Moscow’s dominance over Europe’s vitality markets, as a transit contract between Russia and Ukraine expired.
Slovakia has different gasoline provides however Fico, who has ended navy support to Ukraine and sought hotter relations with Moscow, says Slovakia will lose its personal transit revenues and pay extra transit charges to usher in non-Russian gasoline. He has additionally mentioned European gasoline and energy costs would rise because of Ukraine’s actions.
Fico mentioned a Slovak delegation would talk about the scenario in Brussels subsequent Tuesday after which his ruling coalition would talk about retaliation for what he referred to as “sabotage” by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy.
“I declare (my Smer-SSD occasion) are able to debate and agree within the coalition on halting provides of electrical energy and on vital reducing of assist for Ukrainian residents in Slovakia,” Fico mentioned.
“The one different for a sovereign Slovakia is renewal of transit or demanding compensation mechanisms that can exchange the loss in public funds of almost 500 million euros.”
Zelenskiy accused Fico final week of opening a “second vitality entrance” towards Ukraine on the orders of Russia.
Slovakia’s gasoline transit community operator Eustream, majority owned by the state, had income of 158 million euros and after-tax revenue of 25 million euros within the six months to Jan. 31 final yr, the newest interval it reported on its web site.
State-owned Slovak gasoline importer SPP, which covers round two-thirds of Slovak demand, mentioned on Wednesday it might face round 90 million euros in extra prices, primarily in transit charges, if it had been to switch all Russian gasoline this yr.
Slovakia, which neighbours Ukraine within the east, exported 2.4 million megawatt hours of electrical energy within the first 11 months of 2024 to Ukraine, which has suffered shortages attributable to Russian bombing, in accordance with knowledge from the Slovak grid operator.
