Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico has pledged to veto any EU support to Ukraine, calling Vladimir Zelensky an “enemy” and blaming him for inflicting “issues” for Slovakia. Kiev halted the transit of Russian pure gasoline earlier this month, jeopardizing Slovakia’s power safety.
Fico, who survived an assassination try by a pro-Ukraine activist final yr, criticized Zelensky on Tuesday for refusing to resume the gasoline transit contract with Russia’s state power firm, Gazprom.
“Our enemy is Zelensky. Zelensky prompted the issues we’ve got. I don’t like him as a result of he harms Slovakia,” Fico mentioned, as reported by native media.
The prime minister dismissed a proposal from Zelensky over the weekend suggesting that Kiev might transit gasoline from Azerbaijan to the EU. Fico accused Zelensky of creating empty guarantees, claiming the proposal lacked any concrete plan.
“Nothing is prepared, there’s no mission on the desk. [Zelensky] is blowing bubbles once more as a result of he thinks this bubble will free him from making robust choices,” Fico mentioned.
Fico warned that Bratislava would veto EU support to Ukraine if the transit of Russian pure gasoline will not be resumed. He added that he plans to lift the difficulty with the European Fee on Thursday. Based on Fico, the most effective decision to the dispute would contain buying gasoline at Russia’s border and having it transported by way of Ukraine as Slovak property.
Since his election victory in 2023, Fico and his SMER-SD celebration have reversed most of the earlier authorities’s pro-Ukraine insurance policies, together with halting arms shipments to Kiev. Fico has persistently pushed for a diplomatic decision to the battle and criticized EU sanctions on Russia.
Bratislava has additionally vowed to dam Ukraine’s potential NATO membership. Fico has accused Zelensky of trying to bribe him with €500 million to safe assist for Kiev’s NATO bid.
The already strained relationship between Bratislava and Kiev has worsened over the continuing gasoline dispute. Slovakia, which had acquired as much as 60% of its gasoline by way of a Soviet-era pipeline, has been closely affected by Ukraine’s resolution to chop off the transit of Russian gasoline to Central Europe. Fico has beforehand threatened to chop electrical energy provides to Ukraine until Kiev stops undermining Slovakia’s power safety.
