Slovak PM Fico to meet with EU Commission chief to discuss gas transit through Ukraine
Photo: Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico (Getty Images)
Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico will meet today with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen to discuss the continuation of gas transit through Ukraine, according to Reuters.
Fico told the parliamentary committee that although the Ukrainian government rejected to extend the transit contract with Russian Gazprom, alternative solutions are possible to maintain transit next year.
The five-year gas transit contract between Ukraine and Russia expires on January 1, 2025.
Slovakia and Hungary, which are friendly to Moscow, are making efforts at the state level to ensure that Ukraine continues to transit Russian gas.
Fico spoke this week with Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal.
Shmyhal said that Ukraine was ready to fulfill its obligations under the Association Agreement with the EU.
“Therefore, if the European Commission officially appeals to Ukraine regarding the transit of any gas other than Russian, we will, of course, discuss it and are ready to implement the relevant agreements based on the principles of energy security — both for the entire EU and for each European nation,” he said.
According to the European Commission, the termination of Russian natural gas transit through Ukraine on January 1, 2025, will have little impact on European prices. The end of the transit agreement has already been taken into account in winter gas prices.
Since the beginning of December 2024, gas prices in Europe have fallen by more than 10% to $470 per thousand cubic meters. Prices are at about the same level as a year ago.
