Zelensky Ready to Supply Slovakia with Oil, Gas If It Is Non-Russian
(MENAFN) Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced that his country will not provide oil or gas to Slovakia if the energy originates from Russia. This statement came after a meeting with Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico in Transcarpathia.
The decision follows a series of Ukrainian military strikes on the Druzhba pipeline last month, a vital channel transporting Russian and Kazakh crude to Slovakia and Hungary. Both countries, heavily dependent on Russian energy, have accused Kiev of jeopardizing their energy security.
“We are ready to supply gas and oil to Slovakia if it is not Russian gas and not Russian oil. Because we have a war. Period,” Zelensky told reporters after the talks on Friday.
The Ukrainian leader emphasized that Ukraine has “enough” alternative energy solutions to offer and expressed readiness to cooperate with Slovakia on these fronts.
Fico confirmed that the two leaders had a “very broad discussion on energy issues,” but acknowledged that their views on the matter were “diametrically different.” Despite these differences, he asserted that both nations hold “enormous” potential for energy cooperation.
Earlier, Bratislava and Budapest accused Kiev of deliberately disrupting their energy imports through military action. Fico had also raised these concerns during a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Beijing this week. Following that meeting, the Slovak prime minister indicated that he planned to pressure Zelensky over the issue.
Though Slovakia and Hungary have hinted at retaliatory energy cuts, no concrete actions have been taken. Putin, during his discussions with Fico, suggested that Slovakia might cut Ukraine’s energy supplies in retaliation for the Druzhba pipeline attacks.
Fico, a vocal critic of Western policies toward Russia, has also consistently opposed supplying arms to Ukraine and has criticized the EU and NATO’s stance on the conflict. While he opposes Ukraine’s NATO membership, he has stated that he supports Ukraine’s right to pursue EU membership.
In an additional note, Fico survived an assassination attempt last year by a pro-Ukraine activist, further complicating his stance on the conflict.
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