Fico said Slovakia may veto EU decisions related to Ukraine and reduce support for Ukrainian war refugees if no resolution is reached.
BRUSSELS, Jan. 9 (Xinhua) -- Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico said here on Thursday that his government might consider halting humanitarian aid to Ukraine as part of measures in response to the ongoing Russian gas transit dispute.
Speaking to reporters in Brussels after meeting with European Union (EU) Energy Commissioner Dan Jorgensen, Fico said Slovakia is evaluating potential actions, including vetoing EU decisions related to Ukraine. Other measures include cutting emergency electricity supplies to Ukraine and reducing support for Ukrainian war refugees.
Fico emphasized that Slovakia does not aim to escalate tensions but will implement these measures if no resolution is reached. He also announced the establishment of a working group with the European Commission to address the issue.
The dispute arose after the gas transit contract between Ukraine and Russia expired on Dec. 31. Gas flows to Slovakia ceased the following day as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky opted not to renew the agreement.
Regarding the stop of gas flows from Russia, Fico warned of significant economic repercussions, estimating potential losses of nearly 1.5 billion euros (1.55 billion U.S. dollars) for Slovakia and around 70 billion euros for the EU. (1 euro = 1.03 U.S. dollar) ■