Wednesday22 January 2025
s-ukraine.com

Fico challenges Zelensky: What sparked the conflict and what are the intentions of Slovakia's Prime Minister?

The conflict between Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is escalating. This time, the tension arises from Ukraine's refusal to continue the transit of Russian gas through its territory, which, according to Fico, is causing significant economic harm to Slovakia and the European Union.
Фицо вызвал Зеленского на дуэль: в чем причина конфликта и какие планы у премьер-министра Словакии?
The conflict between Slovakia's Prime Minister Robert Fico and Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky is escalating. This time, the tension arose from Ukraine's refusal to continue the transit of Russian gas through its territory, which Fico claims is causing significant economic harm to Slovakia and the European Union.

This was reported by Main Post, referencing Fico's page on Facebook.

Fico sharply condemned Ukraine's actions, labeling them as sabotage.

“President Zelensky is sabotaging the financial interests of Slovakia and the EU, despite the European Commission stating clearly: nothing prevents the continuation of transit. This is not a matter of rights or sanctions,” emphasized the Slovak Prime Minister.

Fico also expressed dissatisfaction with the losses for his country. According to his calculations, Slovakia could lose around 1.5 billion euros. The Prime Minister noted that the cessation of transit benefits the United States, which is increasing liquefied gas supplies to Europe, and referred to the situation as “Zelensky's American adventure.”

The Prime Minister of Slovakia plans to raise this issue at a meeting with the European Commissioner for Energy in Brussels.

“I will do everything to awaken Europe from its sweet slumber. We are not at war, and we have no reason to tolerate Zelensky's adventures, especially considering the assistance that Slovakia and the EU are providing to Ukraine,” he stated.

Separately, it is worth mentioning that ISW assessed the prospects of a new offensive by the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the Kharkiv region.