Slovak PM says Slovakia has "moral right" in considering ways to cut off gas supplies to Ukraine

Slovakia has a "moral right" to consider ways to stop gas supplies to Ukraine that go through Slovak territory.

Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico has repeatedly criticised Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for Kyiv's suspension of Russian gas supplies through Ukrainian territory in early January.

He said that last week Ukraine began receiving gas again through a backup pipeline from Slovakia after Russian attacks on its gas facilities, and the gas is supplied by foreign companies.

"This is the gas Ukraine would have frozen without. Slovakia is not involved in this. The suppliers are foreign companies. However, we have the moral right to consider ways to stop supplying Ukraine with about 7.5 million cubic metres of gas per day, which is foreign supplies from Europe," Fico wrote on Facebook.

Fico also said that the EU's inability to compete with the United States would lead Europe to buy more oil and gas from the US. He said this would replace dependence on raw material supplies from the East with reliance on the West.

The prime minister reiterated his assertion that, in his opinion, the war in Ukraine suits Western countries because they want to weaken Russia.

He added that this will not happen and that Ukraine, which has been resisting Russian military invasion for almost three years, will pay a high price for this.

Fico harshly criticised Ukraine as an unreliable partner and said he was tired of President Zelenskyy travelling around Europe "begging" and "blackmailing others".

Moreover, due to the suspension of gas transit, Fico voiced a list of threats against Kyiv, including a veto of EU decisions on Ukraine.