Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico mentioned his authorities is discussing retaliatory measures in opposition to Ukraine after Kiev shut down a pipeline supplying Russian pure fuel to Central Europe.
Slovak chief Robert Fico has threatened to chop monetary support to greater than 130,000 Ukrainian refugees dwelling within the nation as a part of a sequence of retaliatory measures in opposition to Ukraine for its choice to cease the circulate of Russian fuel by its territory in direction of Slovakia.
In a video message posted on Facebook, Fico mentioned his Smer celebration would additionally take into account slicing electrical energy provides to Ukraine and demanding the renewal of fuel transits or compensation for monetary loss which, in line with him, Slovakia has suffered as a result of blockade of Russian fuel in its territory.
As of December 8, the United Nations Refugee Agency estimated there have been 130,532 Ukrainian refugees in Slovakia, the overwhelming majority of whom had been instantly crossing the shared border between the 2 nations.
Exports of Russian fuel provides operating by a Soviet-era pipeline by Ukraine had been halted on New Year’s Day after Kiev mentioned it might not renew a five-year transit cope with Russian vitality big Gazprom signed earlier than the invasion large-scale assault on Ukraine by Russia.
Slovakia has spent months attempting to persuade Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to resume the deal to proceed the circulate of provides of low-cost Russian fuel to Europe.
The feud between the 2 nations has intensified in latest weeks with Zelenkskyy refusing to resume the deal. The Ukrainian chief mentioned he wouldn’t permit nations to “earn additional billions with our blood.”
Fico responded, saying that stopping Russian fuel would enhance European fuel and vitality costs and in the end damage the European Union greater than Russia.
He added that Slovakia itself won’t undergo from fuel shortages because it has made alternative preparations, however that Ukraine’s choice to close off Russian fuel would nonetheless imply losses of 500 million euros in transit charges from different nations to Bratislava.
Last 12 months, Slovakia signed a short-term pilot contract to purchase pure fuel from Azerbaijan, in addition to an settlement to import liquefied pure fuel from the United States by way of Poland. It can also be able to receiving fuel by way of Austrian, Hungarian and Czech fuel pipelines.
However, Fico mentioned that ending the settlement would price the European Union a complete of 120 billion euros over the subsequent two years.
Officials in Moldova, which isn’t a European Union member state, declared a state of emergency in December over what was anticipated to be a extreme fuel scarcity after the deal ends.
The European Commission mentioned Europe was making ready for the change and that the majority states would be capable to cope with out Russian fuel provides.
“We count on the influence of ending transit by Ukraine on the EU’s safety of provide to be restricted. The 14 billion cubic meters per 12 months at the moment transiting by Ukraine might be utterly changed by LNG imports and non-Russian pipelines by way of different routes.” a European Commission spokesperson instructed Euronews in December.
The Polish authorities known as the top of the settlement a “victory” in opposition to Russia.
Fico, who has lengthy maintained pleasant ties with Moscow, a lot to Ukraine’s dismay, final month visited Russian President Vladimir Putin to debate fuel provides – the place he threatened to droop backup electrical energy provides to Kiev on which the war-torn nation is closely dependent. on.
ANNOUNCEMENTAt the time, Poland mentioned it was keen to extend its vitality exports to Ukraine to offset potential Slovak losses.
Zelensky, for his half, accused Fico of serving to Putin “finance the struggle and weaken Ukraine.” Last week, the Ukrainian chief mentioned that Fico’s efforts to push ahead the deal amounted to Slovakia opening a “second vitality entrance” in opposition to Ukraine on Russia’s orders in opposition to Ukraine.
