EU country’s PM threatens Ukraine aid veto
Slovakia could veto EU-wide initiatives to assist Ukraine, as well as take individual action against it, Prime Minister Robert Fico has said. He warned Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky against harming the bloc “for political reasons.”
Fico issued the threat on Sunday during an interview with Slovak broadcaster ta3, while speaking about the ongoing gas transit row with Kiev. Ukraine opted to terminate the transit of Russian natural gas through its territory to the EU starting this year, effectively cutting off the flow to some countries in the bloc, including Austria, Italy, and Slovakia.
“If President Zelensky decides to harm the whole EU purely for political reasons, I speak for the Slovak government that when some aid for Ukraine is on the negotiating table, I will veto it,” Fico warned.
Other retaliatory measures against Kiev could include stopping the emergency electricity supply to Ukraine, halting humanitarian aid deliveries or cutting benefits received by the Ukrainian refugees who reside in Slovakia, Fico stated.
He reiterated his allegations against Kiev, claiming that half of the money sent to Ukraine is “destined” to be stolen, and stating that rampant corruption in the country is common knowledge.
Fico has long been a critic of Western aid to Kiev, arguing that Ukraine cannot defeat Russia on the battlefield and should seek a diplomatic solution to the conflict instead. Immediately after assuming his position in late 2023, Fico halted military aid to Ukraine and pledged to veto the country’s potential accession to NATO.
The already strained relations between Bratislava and Kiev have deteriorated even further amid the gas row. Landlocked Slovakia has been heavily dependent on Russian supplies, receiving over 50% of its gas through the Ukrainian transit system.
Earlier this week, Fico admitted he has occasionally become “sick” of Zelensky, stating he was not “here to hold hands” with the Ukrainian leader. “He roams Europe begging and blackmailing, asking others for money,” Fico told the Slovak parliament’s foreign affairs committee. “This needs to stop.”
Ukraine has refused to renew the gas contract, stating that it wants to eliminate Russian profits. Prime Minister Denis Shmigal confirmed last week that Kiev had no plans of signing another contract with Moscow.
