By Jan Lopatka
(Reuters) -Slovakia’s coalition authorities will focus on retaliatory measures to take towards Ukraine after it halted the stream of Russian fuel via its territory to Slovakia, Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico mentioned on Thursday.
Fico mentioned in a video message posted on Fb that his Smer occasion would contemplate reducing electrical energy provides to Ukraine, decreasing support to Ukrainian refugees, and demanding the renewal of fuel transits or compensation for losses he mentioned Slovakia had suffered because of the ending of Russian fuel flows.
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Russian fuel exports through Soviet-era pipelines working via Ukraine got here to a halt on New Yr’s Day, marking the tip of many years of Moscow’s dominance over Europe’s power markets, as a transit contract between Russia and Ukraine expired.
Slovakia has various fuel provides however Fico, who has ended navy support to Ukraine and sought hotter relations with Moscow, says Slovakia will lose its personal transit revenues and pay further transit charges to usher in non-Russian fuel. He has additionally mentioned European fuel and energy costs would rise on account of Ukraine’s actions.
Fico mentioned a Slovak delegation would focus on the state of affairs in Brussels subsequent Tuesday after which his ruling coalition would focus on retaliation for what he referred to as “sabotage” by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy.
“I declare (my Smer-SSD occasion) are able to debate and agree within the coalition on halting provides of electrical energy and on important decreasing of assist for Ukrainian residents in Slovakia,” Fico mentioned.
“The one various for a sovereign Slovakia is renewal of transit or demanding compensation mechanisms that may substitute the loss in public funds of almost 500 million euros.”
Zelenskiy accused Fico final week of opening a “second power entrance” towards Ukraine on the orders of Russia.
Slovakia’s fuel transit community operator Eustream, majority owned by the state, had income of 158 million euros and after-tax revenue of 25 million euros within the six months to Jan. 31 final yr, the newest interval it reported on its web site.
State-owned Slovak fuel importer SPP, which covers round two-thirds of Slovak demand, mentioned on Wednesday it might face round 90 million euros in further prices, primarily in transit charges, if it have been to interchange all Russian fuel this yr.
Slovakia, which neighbours Ukraine within the east, exported 2.4 million megawatt hours of electrical energy within the first 11 months of 2024 to Ukraine, which has suffered shortages because of Russian bombing, in keeping with information from the Slovak grid operator.
(Reporting by Jan Lopatka in Prague; Modifying by Gareth Jones and Hugh Lawson)
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