Putin ordered Fico to open second energy front against Ukraine – Zelenskyy
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has responded to Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico's threats to shut off electricity supply to Ukraine due to Kyiv's decision to suspend Russian gas transit after 2024.
Source: Zelenskyy on X (Twitter); European Pravda
Details: Zelenskyy stressed that Ukraine's need for electricity imports arose only because of Russia's occupation of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant and Russia's deliberate destruction of Ukraine's energy infrastructure.
Quote: "It appears that Putin gave Fico the order to open the second energy front against Ukraine at the expense of the Slovak people’s interests. Fico's threats to cut off Ukraine's emergency power supply this winter while Russia attacks our power plants and energy grid can only be explained by this," the Ukrainian president tweeted.
Addressing Fico, he noted that "supporting Russian aggression is completely immoral".
"Second, Fico's shortsighted policy has already deprived the Slovak people of compensation for losing Russian gas transit. It now risks depriving the Slovaks of another US$200 million per year, which Ukraine pays for the imported electricity," Zelenskyy added.
He explained that Slovakia accounts for approximately 19% of Ukraine's electricity imports and emphasised that the Ukrainian government is collaborating with neighbouring EU countries to secure the required electricity supplies.
"Slovakia is part of the single European energy market and Fico must respect common European rules. Any arbitrary decisions in Bratislava or Moscow's orders to Fico regarding electricity cannot cut Ukraine's power supply, but they can certainly cut current Slovak authorities' ties to the European community," Zelenskyy concluded.
Background:
- Fico criticised the Ukrainian government for refusing to continue the transit of Russian gas after 2024 and promised to consider retaliatory measures.
- Among such measures, the Slovak prime minister mentioned the possibility of cutting off electricity supplies to Ukraine.
- Slovakia has repeatedly tried to extend the agreement between Ukraine and Russia on the transit of Russian gas, which expires in 2024.
- Zelenskyy confirmed that Ukraine was not considering renewing the agreement with Gazprom on the transit of Russian gas to Europe and made it clear that Kyiv would not agree to pump Russian gas under the guise of Azerbaijani gas.
- Against this backdrop, Fico paid a controversial visit to Russia, where he met with Kremlin ruler Vladimir Putin.
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