Ukraine Accuses Slovakia‘s Prime Minister of Opening ‘Second Energy Front’ for Russia
In a surprising twist to an already complex energy dispute, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has accused Slovakia’s Prime Minister Robert Fico of opening a "second energy front" against Ukraine at Russia’s behest. The spat comes as talks over natural gas transit via Ukraine beyond 2024 falter, according to a report by Reuters.
Ukraine has been facilitating the transit of Russian natural gas to several European countries, including Slovakia. However, this arrangement is set to expire at the end of this year, raising concerns about potential gas supply disruptions in Europe.
Fico, who recently visited Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow, has warned that Slovakia may consider reciprocal measures against Ukraine, such as stopping emergency power supplies, if Ukraine halts gas transit come January 1. This move has sparked a heated response from Zelensky, who took to Twitter to express his disapproval.
"[I]t appears that Putin gave Fico the order to open the second energy front against Ukraine at the expense of the Slovak people’s interests," Zelensky wrote.
Slovakia, which relies heavily on Russian gas, has argued that alternative transit routes would lead to increased costs and impact its own transit operations, resulting in a potential loss of €500 million in transit fees.
Ukraine has remained steadfast in its refusal to sign a new gas transit deal with Moscow due to Russia’s ongoing invasion, which began in February 2022. Following Russia’s attacks on its power grid late last year, Ukraine has been forced to import electricity from neighboring countries. Zelensky has underscored Slovakia’s role in these energy imports, stating that it currently supplies 19% of Ukraine’s electricity needs. He also warned that disrupting energy supplies to Ukraine could cost Slovakia around $200 million annually.
"Slovakia is part of the unified European energy market and Fico must uphold common European rules," Zelensky added.
With the energy standoff between these countries escalating, all eyes are on Fico and the slovak government to see how they will respond to Zelensky’s accusations and the potential impacts on regional energy supplies.
