Slovakia’s prime minister decried the EU’s pursuit of misguided geopolitical objectives and warned of severe consequences for smaller member states.
In a New Year’s Day address, Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico voiced serious concerns about the termination of Russian gas transit through Ukraine, highlighting its potentially devastating effects on Slovakia and the EU. The cessation of gas flow, effective January 1, 2025, follows Ukraine’s refusal to renew its transit agreement with Russia’s Gazprom.
In a video released Wednesday, Fico criticized the prevalence of self-serving national interests and illogical geopolitical goals within the EU, arguing that the needs of smaller nations like Slovakia are being disregarded.
“In international relations, it’s irrelevant whether powerful nations cooperate or clash; it’s always the smaller nations that suffer,” Fico stated. “I refuse to let Slovakia become a casualty, as the halting of gas transit through Ukraine demonstrates. This will severely impact the EU, but not Russia.”
He committed to a proactive foreign policy in 2025 focused on non-interference in the affairs of other countries and prioritizing Slovak national interests.
Slovakia, which had relied on a pipeline through Ukraine for Russian gas, had urged Ukraine to renew the transit agreement. Following Ukraine’s rejection, Fico threatened last week to cut off electricity supplies to Ukraine.
The European Commission attempted to minimize the impact of the agreement’s termination, claiming the EU’s gas infrastructure is adaptable enough to handle non-Russian gas via alternative routes. However, this sudden disruption has caused European gas prices to spike, reaching €50 per megawatt hour for the first time in over a year.