Slovak PM Fico to seek EU support for alternative gas transit plan through Ukraine

Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico will present a plan to the European Commission on Thursday to maintain gas transit through Ukraine, as reported by Reuters.

"I take into account the decision of the Ukrainian government that they do not want to extend the contract with Gazprom. But that does not mean we cannot take gas from the east," Fico said during a meeting with members of the Slovak parliament's European Affairs Committee.

"We have solutions ... that Ukraine will not be transiting Russian gas, but will be transiting gas whose owner will be someone else," the Slovak premier added.

According to Fico, this plan would maintain the transit flow through Ukraine at around 14-15 billion cubic meters, including gas supplied to Austria and the Czech Republic.

Slovakia needs the support of the European Commission for such arrangements, so Fico will discuss them with Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. However, on Tuesday, the European Commission reiterated that it does not support the extension of the contract or any other decision that would allow the flow of Russian gas to continue.

On December 16, Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal told Fico that Ukraine is ready to discuss the continuation of transit of any gas except Russian gas if approached by the European Commission.

After the contract between Gazprom and Austrian OMV was terminated, Slovakia remains the last major consumer of Russian gas received through Ukraine. The transit of Azerbaijani gas was considered as a possible scenario to maintain transit after the current agreement between Ukraine and Russia expires.

Another option is to move the point of purchase of Russian gas by Slovakia from the western to the eastern border of Ukraine. In this case, Ukraine would technically transport not Russian, but already Slovak gas.