Slovakia Might Stop All Humanitarian Aid to Ukraine, Claims Fico

Brussels/Bratislava, January 9 (TASR-correspondent) - We might stop all humanitarian aid to Ukraine, decide to significantly reduce or completely withdraw benefits for Ukrainian war refugees in Slovakia or halt electricity supplies in emergency situations, said Premier Robert Fico (Smer-SD) following his talks with EC representatives in Brussels on Thursday in connection with potential reciprocal measures against Kiev in response to the halt to gas transit via Ukraine to Slovakia. At the political level, Slovakia might make use of its right of veto when it comes to a number of decisions in the European Union, said Fico. However, Slovakia will only take these steps if it has no other option, said the premier, adding that this is an opportunity to show how the leader of a sovereign country should behave. Fico also announced that a group to address the current dispute is being immediately formed, featuring representatives of Slovakia, the EC, and probably also Ukraine. "It's a serious problem and EU Commissioner for Energy Dan Jorgensen, with whom the Slovak government delegation held negotiations, is aware of it, too," said Fico. He appreciated Thursday's "constructive negotiations" with the EC, which was very interested in resolving the problem. The premier also referred to the EC's letter, according to which there are allegedly no legislative or sanction hurdles that would threaten the transit of Russian gas to Europe. He reiterated that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's decision is purely political and will have a major impact on increased gas prices and the EU's competitiveness. Originally, the negotiations in Brussels should have taken place on Tuesday (January 7) with the participation of the Ukrainian delegation. However, the Slovak Government Office later announced that the EC cancelled them due to the Ukrainian side's absence, rescheduling them for Thursday. The contract for the transit of Russian gas through Ukraine expired at the end of 2024, and Kiev decided not to extend it. Fico repeatedly warned of a potential annual loss of €500 million for Slovakia, while the financial loss for the European Union as a whole should reach €60 to 70 billion. ko/mcs