Ukrainian President Zelensky has criticized Slovak Prime Minister Fico due to Fico’s desire to continue importing gas from Russia, despite the European Union’s aim to phase out such imports. Zelensky suggested on X that Fico might have personal interests in opposing the boycott of Russian gas, questioning Fico’s dependence on Moscow.
This criticism comes as the 2019 gas transit agreement between Ukraine and Russia is set to expire, with Ukraine intent on not renewing it, as the revenue aids Russia’s war efforts. While most EU nations have reduced their reliance on Russian gas since the war began in 2022, Slovakia, Hungary, and Austria remain more dependent.
Zelensky claimed that Fico rejected EU compensation to seek alternatives, wanting Russia to profit from the war. Zelensky offered to keep the pipeline open if payments were deferred until the war’s end, but Russia, led by President Putin, appears unlikely to agree.
Gazprom still supplies a significant portion of gas to these countries, which struggle to find alternatives. Fico recently met with Putin in Moscow, but details remain sparse.
Hungary, unlike Slovakia, has options via Turkish pipelines, though Slovakia lacks such capacity.
Source: NOS