Brussels does not comment on Fico’s trip to Putin: EU ready to stop Russian gas transit through Ukraine
The European Commission has not commented on the visit of Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico to Russian dictator Vladimir Putin.
This was reported by Censor.NET with reference to Interfax-Ukraine.
"We have no comment on Prime Minister Fico's visit to Moscow. However, we would like to recall the following facts: stopping the flow through Ukraine on January 1 is an expected situation, and the EU is ready for it," the EC representative said.
According to him, the European Commission, in coordination with member states, has been working for more than a year to prepare for a scenario without Russian gas transit through Ukraine from January 1, 2025, and to ensure alternative supplies for the affected member states.
"The European gas infrastructure is flexible enough to supply non-Russian gas to Central and Eastern Europe via alternative routes. Since 2022, it has been reinforced by significant new liquefied natural gas import capacities," he explained.
The EC representative also added that the security of the EU's gas supply architecture has been strengthened over the past few years, in particular through measures to improve energy efficiency and develop renewable energy sources.
"The impact of the termination of transit through Ukraine on the security of EU supplies is limited," he concluded.
To recap, on December 22, 2024, Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico arrived in Moscow to meet with Russian dictator Vladimir Putin. He said that he paid a visit to Putin in response to Zelenskyy's reluctance to continue the transit of Russian gas through Ukraine.
