The European Commission stressed yesterday that the EU is ready to stop the transit of Russian gas through Ukraine, amid continued criticism from Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico, DPA reported, quoted by BTA.
A spokeswoman for the EC said last night that the European gas infrastructure is flexible enough to deliver gas from other countries to Central and Eastern Europe via alternative routes.
"The impact of stopping transit through Ukraine on the security of supply in the EU is limited," Brussels stressed.
Ukraine, which has been resisting a full-scale Russian invasion for nearly three years, will stop the transit of Russian gas at the beginning of the year. The transit agreement is expiring and Kiev had announced long ago that it would not extend it.
The transit suspension poses particular problems for Slovakia. In a letter to the European Commission in Brussels on Sunday, Fico wrote that "tacit acceptance of (Ukrainian President Volodymyr) Zelensky"'s unilateral decision to block the transit of Russian gas is wrong and irrational and will lead to "increasing tensions and reciprocal measures". According to him, the interruption of gas transit will harm the EU more than Russia.
On Friday, Fico threatened Ukraine that in return his country could cut off electricity supplies. Zelensky called the Slovak prime minister's threat an order from the Kremlin. The previous week, Fico visited Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow, DPA recalls.
Europe's gas infrastructure is strengthened by significant capacity for importing liquefied natural gas. Energy efficiency measures and the expansion of renewable energy sources have also strengthened the security of gas supply in recent years.