Slovakia denies Zelensky's claims of Russian influence
The Slovak Ministry of Foreign Affairs has rejected Volodymyr Zelensky's accusations that Prime Minister Robert Fico is acting under the orders of Vladimir Putin to escalate the energy conflict with Ukraine. Authorities in Bratislava described these claims as "nonsense," reported the Nexta portal.
Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico threatened Ukraine on Friday with cutting off electricity supplies if Kyiv follows through on its announcements and stops the transit of Russian gas to his country after the New Year. On 22 December, he met with Vladimir Putin in Moscow, discussing, among other things, the issue of ongoing gas supplies.
In response to Prime Minister Fico's threats, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated in a post on the X portal suggesting that "it appears that Putin has ordered Fico to open a second energy front against Ukraine, at the expense of the interests of the people of Slovakia."
Bratislava responds
In response, the Slovak Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement strongly distancing itself from these claims, reports Nexta.
We reject any nonsense about opening a second energy front, as baselessly fabricated by Zelensky, as well as statements about some invented alliance with [Russian President] Vladimir Putin, the statement said.
The statement emphasised that electricity supply is purely a commercial matter, and Ukraine continues to earn significant revenue from the transit of Russian gas. The ministry also accused Zelensky of previous "absurd" proposals, including the idea of buying Slovakia's membership in NATO with Russian assets, which was deemed unacceptable.
We are monitoring Ukraine’s communication with patience and in the interest of maintaining respectful relations. However, we must note that Ukrainian President Zelenskyy recently presented an absurd proposal during the December European Council meeting—to "purchase" Slovakia’s consent to NATO membership, not with Ukraine’s own resources (as such consent is not for sale), but with assets seized from Russia—the Slovak Ministry of Foreign Affairs responded.
Bratislava warns that such statements may quickly "backfire on Ukraine itself." Diplomats emphasised that despite political differences, Slovakia tries to maintain good relations with Kyiv, but such accusations hinder cooperation and dialogue, reports Nexta.
