Slovak Prime Minister Fico threatens to cut aid to Ukrainian refugees due to the suspension of gas transit from Russia

Slovakia's ruling coalition will discuss measures to respond to Ukraine's suspension of Russian gas transit, Prime Minister Robert Fico said on January 2, UNN reports, citing Radio Liberty and the BBC.

Details

According to Fico, his Smer party will consider cutting off electricity supplies to Ukraine and reducing aid to Ukrainian refugees.

"We are ready to negotiate and agree in the coalition on the termination of electricity supplies and on a significant reduction in support for Ukrainian citizens in Slovakia," Fico said.

According to the BBC, Fico threatened to cut financial aid to more than 130,000 Ukrainian refugees. The United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) estimated last month that there are 130,530 Ukrainian refugees in Slovakia out of 6,813,900 worldwide.

Also, the country's authorities will reportedly demand the resumption of gas transit or compensation for the losses that, according to the Prime Minister, Slovakia has suffered due to the cessation of Russian gas supplies. Fico estimated such losses at almost 500 million euros.

"The only alternative for a sovereign Slovakia is to resume transit or demand compensation mechanisms that compensate for the loss of public finances," Fico said.

Slovakia's prime minister calls the gas supply cutoff "sabotage," the newspaper writes.

According to him, there is no risk that Slovakia will suffer from a gas shortage, as it has already reached alternative arrangements.

But Fico says the country will lose its own transit revenues and pay additional transit fees for non-Russian gas supplies.

Poland has offered to support Ukraine if Slovakia stops exporting electricity, a supply that is crucial for Ukraine, whose power plants are regularly attacked by Russia.

Addendum

On January 1, Kyiv cut off a pipeline used to supply Russian gas to Central Europe.

The Polish government called Ukraine's suspension of Russian gas supplies "another victory" against Moscow, while the European Commission said the EU had prepared for the changes and most countries could cope.

Moldova, which is not a member of the EU, is already experiencing a deficit.

Russia can still send gas to Hungary, Turkey and Serbia via the Turkish Stream pipeline through the Black Sea.