Slovakia threatens to cut electricity supplies if Ukraine ends Russian gas transit

Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico announced on Dec. 27 that his government will evaluate potential reciprocal measures against Ukraine, including halting electricity supplies, if Ukraine stops the transit of Russian gas to Slovakia after January 1.

“After Jan. 1, we will assess the situation and the possibilities of reciprocal measures against Ukraine,” Fico said in a video address.

“If it is unavoidable, we will halt the electricity supplies that Ukraine needs during grid outages.”

He also said that halting gas transit through Ukraine would harm the EU's competitiveness.

Fico met Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow on Dec. 22 to discuss gas supplies after Kyiv said it would not extend the deal on transiting Russian gas to Europe past Dec. 31.

While the European Union has made efforts to reduce dependency on Russian fossil fuels following the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, many countries, including Slovakia, Hungary, and Austria, remain reliant on Russian gas.

Slovakia has a long-term contract with Russia's state-owned energy giant Gazprom and estimates alternative arrangements could cost an additional €220 million ($228.73 million) in transit fees.  

Since taking office, Fico has shifted Slovakia’s foreign policy, halting military aid to Ukraine and adopting rhetoric more aligned with Russia, raising concerns among Kyiv and European partners.

Putin, Slovak PM discuss gas transit, standardizing ‘mutual relations,’ Fico says after Kremlin meeting

“In a long conversation ... Putin and I exchanged views on the military situation in Ukraine, the possibilities of an early peaceful end to the war, and on mutual relations between the Slovak Republic and the Russian Federation, which I intend to standardize.”

The Kyiv IndependentAbbey Fenbert