Ukraine’s MFA on Slovakia’s plans to terminate emergency electricity supply contract: Fico’s government is depriving Slovak companies of income
Ukraine’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has responded to Slovakia’s plans to terminate its contract with Ukrenergo on emergency electricity supplies.
Censor.NET reports this with reference to a statement by Foreign Ministry spokesperson Heorhii Tykhyi, as cited by European Pravda.
Ukraine’s MFA response
Tykhyi said Slovakia’s plans to terminate the contract for emergency electricity supplies to Ukraine could be compared to "preparing to shoot itself in the foot, or rather in the legs of its own energy companies."
He stressed that "Ukraine is buying this electricity, not receiving it for free."
"So Fico’s government will simply deprive Slovak companies of income, while Ukraine will get this electricity from other sources," the ministry spokesperson said.
"There is only one explanation for such strange intentions: for Fico, this is not about the citizens of Slovakia, but about preserving his economic ties with Russia, even at the cost of harming Slovak business," Tykhyi added.
- It was reported earlier that Slovakia’s transmission system operator SEPS had announced plans to terminate its contract with Ukrenergo on emergency electricity supplies.
Background
- On January 27, Russian occupation forces launched a strike on a critical infrastructure facility of the Naftogaz Group in western Ukraine. The likely target of the attack was Ukraine's largest oil pumping station located in Brody, which ensures the operation of the southern branch of the Druzhba oil pipeline.
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The Prime Ministers of Hungary and Slovakia, Viktor Orbán and Robert Fico, accused Ukraine of delaying the restoration of the pipeline's operation due to "political motives." On February 18, the authorities of these two countries announced the cessation of petroleum product exports to Ukraine in response to the halt of Russian oil transit through Ukraine.
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Furthermore, Fico warned that Slovakia would also review its support for Ukraine's European integration and might suspend electricity supplies.
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At the same time, Hungary received permission to import Russian oil via an alternative maritime route through Croatia, with subsequent transportation via pipeline.
