Slovakia is considering measures against Ukraine, including suspending aid, if a solution is not found for the suspended transit of Russian gas through the country. Prime Minister Robert Fico made the statement after talks with European Energy Commissioner Dan Jorgensen, Reuters reports.
Fico accused Kiev of damaging Slovakia by not extending a gas transit deal with Russia.
He threatened to retaliate by cutting off emergency electricity supplies to Ukraine, and today announced that the government could also cut off humanitarian aid or use its veto power in the European Union over Ukraine's problems.
Fico noted that the government did not want to escalate tensions, but would consider measures if a solution was not found.
He reiterated that stopping transit from Ukraine would cost Slovakia 500 million euros in transit fees and 1 billion euros in higher gas prices.
Slovakia and the European Commission said they had agreed to set up a working group to assess the situation and see what help can provide the EU.
Supplies through Ukraine stopped on January 1 after the expiration of the transit agreement between Ukraine and Russia. Kiev refused to renegotiate any deal that would provide Moscow with revenue that could be used to finance its war.
Last year, Slovakia unsuccessfully tried to extend the transit deal and considered solutions that included buying the gas and acquiring ownership of it before it reached Ukraine for transit.
However, Fico said that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky had ended the chances of a deal at the EU summit in December.
Alternative supply options for Europe were actively discussed even before Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, as Moscow has repeatedly used its long-term gas contracts as blackmail.