Slovakia Challenges EU Plans, Pursues Stronger Energy Ties with Russia
Slovakia has announced its intention to normalize relations with Russia and increase gas imports via the Turkish Stream pipeline, contrary to the EU's position.
The Gaze reports this, referring to Reuters.
During a meeting with Putin on the sidelines of China's World War II anniversary celebrations in Beijing, Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico expressed interest in restoring economic and political ties with Moscow, emphasizing Slovakia's dependence on Russian energy supplies.
“I want to say openly that we are extremely interested in standardisation of relations between the Slovak Republic and the Russian Federation,” Fico said, highlighting the need to get back to what used to be typical when it comes to economic cooperation.
He thanked Russia for stable gas supplies via the Turkish Stream pipeline, which has become the main route for Russian gas to Europe after the explosions on Nord Stream 1 and the cessation of transit through Ukraine.
According to the Slovak company EUstream, Slovakia imported about 1.7 billion cubic meters of gas through Hungary, its most direct route to Turkish Stream, this year. A project is currently underway to increase cross-border gas transmission capacity from 3.5 to 4.4 billion cubic meters.
Fico's statements contradict the EU's plans to gradually phase out Russian energy sources by 2027 amid Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Slovakia and Hungary oppose these plans, citing the risk of price increases and energy security issues.
Notably, the Prime Minister of Slovakia expressed interest in the potential participation of Russian companies in the new nuclear power plant project alongside the American company Westinghouse.
Fico also reported that Slovakia has resumed issuing visas to Russian citizens, which had been suspended since the start of Russia's large-scale invasion of Ukraine.
In addition, he announced a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Uzhhorod, Ukraine, where he plans to discuss Ukraine's recent attacks, which temporarily halted Russian oil supplies via the Druzhba pipeline to Slovakia and Hungary.
As The Gaze informed earlier, Ukrainian drones have struck the Unecha oil pumping station in Russia’s Bryansk region, inflicting fresh damage on the Druzhba pipeline, one of Moscow’s key routes for exporting crude to Europe.