Fico threatens to stop supplying electricity to Ukraine
Photo: Prime Minister of Slovakia Robert Fico (Getty Images)
Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico has threatened to stop electricity supplies to Ukraine. He intends to take this step as revenge for Kyiv's refusal to transit Russian gas to Europe, according to Fico's statement on Facebook.
"After January 1, we will assess the situation and possible reciprocal measures against Ukraine. If necessary, we will stop supplying electricity, which is crucial for Ukraine during power outages," Fico said.
The Slovak Prime Minister justifies his threat by pointing to the significant impact that halting Russian gas flows will have on Europe's economy.
According to him, the EU will face additional electricity costs of 120 billion euros ($125 billion) over the next two years due to the halt in Russian gas transportation.
Ukraine has stopped the transit of Russian gas
Ukraine refused to extend the contract for the transit of Russian gas to Europe through its territory, which expires on December 31.
As early as October, Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal stated that Ukraine would not continue the transit of Russian gas in 2025.
At the same time, Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico remains hopeful that he will manage to negotiate with Ukraine and the European Commission for the continued transit of Russian gas to Slovakia via Ukrainian territory. According to the government head, his country does not want to lose money.
