Believe it or not, during the duration of the Ukraine war, there was a contract in effect for the transit of Russian gas through Ukraine to be purchased by Central Europe nations.
This transit contract between Ukraine and Russia will expire on 1 January 2025, and Ukraine has made it clear that it will not extend the agreement.
During the EU Summit taking place in Brussels, many leaders have been pleading for its continuation, including Slovak PM Robert Fico, who said that a ‘conflict’ between Ukraine and Slovakia could arise from that.
Politico reported:
“Zelensky lashed out at Slovakia, saying: ‘It’s a bit shameful to talk about money because we are losing people’. Fico later told reporters that Zelensky’s proposals to him behind closed doors were ‘absurd’ and suggested Ukraine was taking the liberty to damage an EU member’s economy.”
Fico also blew the whistle on what amounts to a bribing proposal Made by the Ukrainian leader.
“Fico said that after he told Zelensky that Slovakia could lose about €500 million in gas transit fees a year, the Ukrainian president ‘asked me if I would then vote for NATO membership if he gave me €500 million of Russian assets, and of course, I said ‘never’’.”
Ukrainska Pravda reported:
“’We are demonstrably facing a gas crisis thanks to President Zelensky’, Fico stated during a press conference before the summit, though he did not clarify his remarks further.
[…] ‘We have differences on the issue of gas transit through Ukraine. I asked him whether he would be ready to transit other gas besides Russian gas’, Fico said.”
Zelensky also ruled out the possibility that Ukraine could transit any gas, even from other countries.
“’We see no reason to pay more for gas due to geopolitical circumstances’, the Slovak prime minister stated during a press conference on 13 December, accusing the West of exerting pressure regarding gas transit.
EU Commissioner for Energy Dan Jørgensen confirmed that the EU is actively preparing to end all gas cooperation with Russia, stating, ‘Our main priority is to completely sever energy ties between the EU and Russia’.”
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