9th January 2025 – (Brussels) On Wednesday, Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico announced his impending trip to Brussels, scheduled for Thursday, to engage with the European Commissioner for Energy regarding the critical gas transit situation. In a social media post preceding his journey, Fico emphasised the severe economic repercussions Slovakia is facing following Ukraine’s decision to suspend gas transit.
He warned that this halt could lead to losses of nearly €1.5 billion (approximately $1.55 billion) for Slovakia and around €70 billion ($72.1 billion) for the European Union as a whole. Fico accused Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky of jeopardising the financial interests of both Slovakia and the EU, despite confirmation from the European Commission that there are no legal barriers preventing Ukraine from continuing the transit of Russian gas.
“Neither Slovakia nor the EU is at war. We have no reason to tolerate Zelensky’s actions, especially given the assistance Slovakia and the EU extend to Ukraine,” Fico stated firmly.
The gas transit agreement between Ukraine and Russia expired on 31st December, 2024, resulting in the immediate cessation of gas flows to Slovakia the following day, as Zelensky chose not to renew the contract. Fico has previously expressed criticism of Zelensky’s unilateral decision, which he argues was made without consulting EU institutions or the affected member states. He further cautioned about potential retaliatory measures, including the possibility of cutting electricity supplies to Ukraine.
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