Slovak PM Fico Unable to Attend ‘Gas Talks’ in Brussels Due to Air Traffic System Failure
Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico was unable to fly to Brussels for negotiations on gas supply with European Commission leaders due to a technical failure in Belgium’s air traffic control system, Euronews reports.
On Thursday evening, Belgian airspace was closed following the detection of a technical issue with the Skeyes air traffic control system. The closure lasted just over an hour, during which no flights could take off or land at any of the country's major airports.
The system failure also forced the aircraft carrying Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico to turn around and return home.
Fico was en route to Brussels for a scheduled meeting on gas supply with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Energy Commissioner Dan Jørgensen.
A previous meeting between Robert Fico and Dan Jørgensen on the gas issue took place on 9 January.
It should be recalled that the contract for transporting Russian gas to Europe via Ukraine’s gas transmission system expired on 31 December 2024. It was not renewed due to national security concerns stemming from Russia’s full-scale war in Ukraine, now in its third year.
This development provoked a strong reaction from Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico, who, following his trip to Russia and meeting with Putin on 27 December last year, threatened Ukraine with retaliatory measures. These included halting electricity supplies from Europe and cutting financial support for Ukrainian refugees in Slovakia.