EU says it's ready for Ukraine's suspension of Russian gas transit against the backdrop of Fico's angry statements

The European Union has stated that it is prepared for Ukraine to cease the transit of Russian gas.

As reported by Deutsche Welle (DW), a European Commission representative said the European infrastructure is flexible enough to allow gas from third countries to flow through alternative routes to Central and Eastern Europe.

"The impact of the cessation of transit through Ukraine on the security of EU supplies is limited," she emphasised.

The European Commission stated that it has been working in coordination with EU member states for over a year to prepare alternative supply schemes.

In addition, measures to improve energy efficiency and expand the use of renewable energy sources have strengthened the reliability of gas supply.

The agreement between Ukraine and Russia on the transit of Russian gas expires in 2024.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy stressed that Ukraine was not considering renewing the transit agreement with Russian energy giant Gazprom and made it clear that Kyiv would not agree to pump Russian gas under the guise of Azerbaijani gas.

Against this backdrop, Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico sharply criticised Zelenskyy, sent a letter to EU leaders expressing dissatisfaction with Kyiv's actions, and threatened to cut off electricity supplies to Ukraine.

Fico paid a controversial visit to Russia, where he met with Kremlin ruler Vladimir Putin.