Slovak party Hlas: gas issue could block Ukraine's EU accession
The Slovak political party Hlas, part of the ruling coalition, called Ukraine's decision to halt Russian gas transit a "breach of trust" and demanded discussions at the next coalition meeting. In its statement, the party threatens to block Ukraine's European integration.
The Slovak political party Hlas, founded by current President Peter Pellegrini, believes Ukraine's actions "betray the trust and assistance" that Slovakia has provided thus far.
"The Slovak Republic will lose hundreds of millions of euros due to President Zelenskyy's move—both in purchasing gas from another supplier and in losing transit fees to other countries. The increase in gas prices will also affect inflation and automatically raise food prices, such as bakery products: bread, rolls, etc.," the party stated.
"If President Zelenskyy wants to continue this approach towards Slovakia, the question arises whether Slovakia will continue to support Ukraine's accession to the EU, which is based on the principles of solidarity and partnership, where such behavior is unacceptable. If President Zelenskyy wants to be perceived as a partner, he must act accordingly," the party declared.
Hlas emphasizes that Slovakia has previously provided significant support to Ukraine (military, political, and humanitarian) and now expects mutual respect and cooperation.
The party calls for resolving the issue through negotiations, particularly with the involvement of the European Commission, rather than unilateral actions by Ukraine.
A similar veiled threat to block Ukraine's EU accession was made by Hungary's foreign minister on December 8, in response to a bill banning the transit of Russian gas and oil.
