Slovakia was considering measures against Ukraine, including suspension of aid, if no solution was found to halt the transit of Russian gas, Prime Minister Robert Fico said.
Fico announced the possible measures on Thursday after talks with EU energy commissioner Dan Jorgensen. The Slovak leader also accused Kyiv of damaging his country by failing to renew a gas transit agreement with Moscow.
In particular, he threatened to cut off electricity supplies to Ukraine and to use his veto power in the European Union over Ukraine issues. He said the government did not want to raise tensions but would consider action if a solution to halt gas transit was not found.
Stopping gas supplies through Ukraine would cost Slovakia €500 million ($516 million) in transit fees and €1 billion in higher gas prices. Russian gas exports stopped on 1 January when the transit contract expired.
Kyiv refused to renegotiate any deal that could generate revenue allegedly used to finance Russia’s war in Ukraine.
Slovakia made an unsuccessful attempt to extend the transit agreement last year. However, Fico stated that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky had ruined the chances of reaching a deal at an EU summit in December.
