Slovakia’s Prime Minister, Robert Fico, met with the Russian President Vladímir Putin in Moscow this Sunday. The visit was not announced beforehand and it marks one of the few times a European leader has met with Putin since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The only prior instances were Austria’s chancellor, Karl Nehammer, in 2022—when the invasion began—and Hungary’s Prime Minister, Viktor Orbán, in 2022 and 2024.
This meeting takes place just weeks before the gas transit deal between Russia and Ukraine is set to expire on the 1st of January, 2025. According to Reuters, Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal affirmed two weeks ago that the agreement will not be extended. “If the European Commission officially approaches Ukraine about the transit of any gas other than Russian, we naturally will discuss it and are ready to reach an appropriate agreement,” Shmyhal stated.
As noted by the think tank Bruegel, this pipeline carries approximately 50% of the Russian gas supplied to Europe and accounts for one-third of Russia’s total gas exports. The issue is particularly pressing for EU members like Hungary and Slovakia, for whom Russia remains the primary gas provider. Slovakia, in particular, is the EU’s leading importer of Russian fossil fuels, according to the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air.
Robert Fico has adopted a sympathetic stance toward Russia since his return to power in 2023. The Prime Minister has repeatedly criticized the economic sanctions imposed over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and has resisted extending Slovakia’s military aid to the country.
It now remains to be seen if—however unlikely—a new type of gas agreement between the EU, Ukraine, and Russia might emerge or if, alternatively, the Ukrainian pipelines could be repurposed to import gas from other suppliers like Azerbaijan. Azerbaijan currently provides around 7% of Europe’s total gas supply, according to Politico.
Comments
2 responses to “Slovakia’s PM Fico and Putin Meet as Ukraine’s Gas Transit Deal Nears Expiry”
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Oh, look at Fico cozying up to Putin like it’s some quaint reunion of old pals! Who needs energy independence when you have a standing invitation to the Kremlin’s tea party? 😂💨
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Oh, a cozy chat between Fico and Putin just when the gas deal’s on the chopping block? 🤔 Looks like Slovakia’s PM is ready to trade a few warm words for more than just a nice cup of tea. Classic move, mate! 😂💨
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