“Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico said that his meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Sunday was a response to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyi’s statement on ending the transit of Russian gas.”, — write: www.pravda.com.ua
Source: Fico on Facebook following the meeting with Putin
Direct speech: “The EU leaders were informed about my trip and its purpose on Friday. My meeting today was in response to the statement of the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, who answered my question on Thursday, that he opposes any transit of gas through Ukraine to our territory
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Similarly, the Ukrainian president advocates sanctions against the Russian nuclear program. With such a position, he causes financial damage to Slovakia and endangers the production of electricity at nuclear power plants in Slovakia, which is unacceptable.”
Details: The Slovak prime minister said that Putin confirmed the readiness of the Russian Federation to continue supplying gas to the West and to Slovakia, “which is practically impossible after January 1, 2025, given the position of the Ukrainian president.”
Fico added that in a long conversation with Putin, they “exchanged views on the military situation in Ukraine, the possibility of a peaceful end to the war as soon as possible”, as well as on relations between Slovakia and Russia.
What preceded: Earlier it became known that the Prime Minister of Slovakia, Robert Fico, is in the Kremlin on December 22 for negotiations with the ruler of the Russian Federation, Vladimir Putin.
The talks between Fico and Putin ended without joint statements to the press.
Prehistory:
- The contract between Ukraine and Russia for gas transit expires on January 1, 2025. Ukraine stated that it does not plan to extend the contract.
- The Prime Minister of Ukraine, Denys Shmyhal, in a conversation with the Prime Minister of Slovakia, confirmed that Kyiv rules out the extension of the transit agreement with Gazprom, but noted that Ukraine is not against transporting gas through its GTS, if it is not from Russia.
- Zelensky confirmed that Ukraine is not considering renewing the agreement with Gazprom on the transit of Russian gas to Europe, and also made it clear that Kyiv will not agree to pump Russian gas under the guise of Azerbaijani gas.
- The European Union has already prepared to stop transit. The share of Russian gas in Europe decreased to 6%, and the share of Russian gas passing through Ukraine to 4%.
- On December 20, Fico said that Slovakia is facing a “gas crisis” because of Zelensky. The day before, as the Slovak mass media reported, Fico talked about the conversation with Zelensky regarding the transit of Russian gas through Ukraine. According to Zelensky, he ruled out the possibility that Ukraine can transit any gas.