If the European Union decides to provide additional aid to Ukraine, Slovakia will veto the decision, Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico stated.
According to Fico, this marks the culmination of the dispute over halting the transit of Russian gas through Ukraine. He accused Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky of harming Slovakia by ending gas transit and announced retaliatory measures.
“If Zelensky has decided to harm Slovakia and the EU because he thinks he can get away with it, I will veto any aid to Ukraine within the EU,” Fico said during a televised debate on Sunday. The Slovak Prime Minister also warned about the potential for rising gas prices in Europe.
Previously, Fico suggested that Slovakia might cease humanitarian aid to Ukraine, stop electricity supplies, and reduce support for Ukrainian refugees who fled to Slovakia following the Russian invasion. “I received confirmation from Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal that Ukraine would transit any gas except Russian gas through its territory. But Zelensky went to Brussels and made this decision,” Fico stated.
The Slovak Prime Minister also noted that during discussions in Moscow, Russian President Vladimir Putin assured him that Russia is prepared to supply gas to Europe. Fico described his December visit to Moscow as private.
