Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico has written a letter to European Council President Antonio Costa and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, in which he raised the issue of Ukraine's termination of Russian gas transit after 2024. At the same time, Bratislava rejected accusations that Fico had opened a "second energy front" against Ukraine on Russia's orders, UNN reports citing Reuters.
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Slovak Foreign Minister Juraj Blanar said on Sunday that Slovakia is closely following reports from Ukraine regarding Fico's statements and called President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy's suggestion of an alliance with Russian dictator Vladimir Putin "fabricated".
"We fully understand that they are exposed to a long-term war conflict, but that is why they should not create new enemies and fabricate a formation of a second front because member states of the European Union, including Slovakia, support Ukraine and its people," Blanar wrote on Facebook.
Ukraine pumps Russian natural gas through its territory to several European countries, including Slovakia, but it is expected to stop transit when the existing transit agreement, signed before Moscow's invasion of Ukraine, expires at the end of the year.
Fico, who visited Putin in Moscow a week ago, said Friday that Slovakia would consider measures against Ukraine, such as cutting off electricity supplies, if Kyiv stops gas transit on Jan. 1, prompting accusations from Zelenskiy that Slovakia is opening a second energy front.
Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico also posted on Facebook on Sunday, calling on the European Commission to pay close attention to the issue and reiterating his statements that the loss of gas transit through Ukraine would hit European consumers and businesses.
"We are coming to a conclusion that must be unacceptable for the European Union and its goals," Fico wrote in an open letter. "Unilateral stoppage of transit through Ukraine towards Slovakia will cost European citizens, businesses and infrastructure tens of billions."