Premier: Smer-SD Ready to Discuss Reciprocal Measures against Ukraine

Bratislava, January 2 (TASR) - Slovakia will lose €500 million a year in transit fees due to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's decision to stop Russian gas supplies through Ukraine, Prime Minister Robert Fico (Smer-SD) said on a social network on Thursday, adding that Smer-SD is ready to negotiate with its coalition partners on the adoption of reciprocal measures, including stopping the electricity supply to Ukraine as well as limiting the support for Ukrainian citizens in Slovakia. "I believe that the coalition partners also see the situation surrounding the halting of gas transit as extremely serious and worthy of a sovereign response by sovereign Slovakia. The only alternatives for sovereign Slovakia is to resume transit or to seek compensation mechanisms to make up for the loss of nearly €500 million in public finances," said Fico. The government delegation is expected to take part in negotiations in Brussels next week, after which the premier plans to convene a coalition council and then a cabinet meeting where the coalition partners should discuss the reciprocal measures. In addition to the loss of €500 million for Slovakia, the premier calculated the financial burden of €60-70 billion for the European Union as a whole. This amount will be paid by the member states in higher gas and electricity prices, Fico specified. "The Russian Federation won't be harmed practically in any way. Only the United States will benefit from President Zelenskyy's decision through increased gas exports to Europe," he added. am/mcs