Slovakia Plans Talks on Gas Transit Via Ukraine Starting Next Week

(Bloomberg) -- Slovakia plans to hold negotiations next week over the future of gas supplies as well as transit of the fuel via Ukraine, according to Prime Minister Robert Fico. 

“We are conducting exceptionally intense international negotiations regarding gas supplies in 2025,” Fico said during a news conference after a government meeting on Friday. “These decisions carry a huge amount of pitfalls because there are political statements from the Ukrainian side, and there is pressure for any interruption of supplies from the East to the West.”

Slovakia is a key buyer of Russian gas that flows through Ukraine. With the Kremlin’s war running for almost three years, Ukraine has made clear it won’t extend the gas transit agreement, which expires at the end of this year. Slovakia is continuing talks to keep gas flowing from Jan. 1, with the proposal involving a swap deal between Azerbaijan and Russia. 

Slovakia will reject pressure to only accept gas from the West. “We see no reason to pay more for gas than necessary for geopolitical reasons,” Fico said. “Therefore, in the coming days, including during the Christmas holidays, you may witness exceptionally intense negotiations at various levels and in different countries, starting as early as next week.”

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