The decision by Ukraine to halt the supply of Russian gas to EU countries via its pipelines is likely to harm the bloc more than Moscow, stated Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico.
The export of Russian gas through Soviet-era pipelines running across Ukraine was stopped on January 1 after Kyiv refused to extend the pre-war transit agreement with Gazprom. This agreement between Kyiv and Moscow had been in place for decades.
Slovakia had spent several months trying to persuade Ukraine to extend the contract, as it relies on affordable Russian gas. According to the leader of Slovakia, this refusal will lead to increased energy prices and higher costs for the EU.
Robert Fico and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky exchanged several statements in the weeks leading up to the expiration of the agreement.
"The cessation of gas transit through Ukraine will have serious consequences for all of us in the EU, but not for the RF," Fico stated in a New Year's address published on social media.
Today, the transit of Russian gas is 0. This is one of Moscow's biggest defeatsVolodymyr Zelensky President of Ukraine
"The more gas that comes to the market from genuine European partners, the sooner we will overcome the last negative effects of European energy dependence on Russia," Volodymyr Zelensky believes.
"When Putin was gifted power in Russia over 25 years ago, the annual gas transit through Ukraine to Europe was over 130 billion cubic meters. Today, the transit of Russian gas is 0. This is one of Moscow's biggest defeats," emphasized the Ukrainian leader.
The Slovak Prime Minister previously noted that the termination of the gas agreement could "cost the EU" 120 billion euros over the next two years.
Slovakia will lose up to 500 million euros annually due to the cessation of transit through its territory to other European countries, Fico said.
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Last month, Robert Fico visited Moscow, where he met with Russian President Vladimir Putin. One of the main topics of discussion was gas supplies.
Fico is only the third EU leader to visit Putin in the Kremlin since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine by Russia.
Upon returning from Moscow, Fico stated that Slovakia would consider "retaliatory measures" against Ukraine, such as halting backup electricity supplies to its eastern neighbor. Following this promise from the Slovak Prime Minister, Zelensky instructed government members to work with European partners to maintain the stability of the united European energy system. One of Kyiv's main allies, Warsaw, declared its readiness to increase energy exports to Ukraine in the event of such a scenario.
Slovakia received about 3 billion cubic meters of gas from Russia via Ukraine annually, which accounted for two-thirds of its needs. This week, officials in Bratislava announced that they would not face a gas shortage due to the cessation of Russian supplies.
Last year, Slovakia signed a short-term contract to purchase natural gas from Azerbaijan and a deal for importing liquefied natural gas from the United States via a pipeline from Poland. Slovakia can also receive gas through Austrian, Hungarian, and Czech networks, allowing it to import gas from Germany and other potential suppliers.