Slovakia summons Ukrainian ambassador
(MENAFN) Slovakia’s Foreign Ministry summoned Ukrainian ambassador Myroslav Kastran on Wednesday to protest statements made by Ukraine’s leadership. The Slovak government accused Ukraine of meddling in its domestic matters, according to Slovak news outlet Aktuality. The protest follows Ukraine’s decision to end a gas transit agreement with Russia, which halted Russian gas flows through Ukraine to Central Europe. While the Slovak government did not specify which statements led to the protest, tensions between the two countries have escalated recently.
Slovak President Robert Fico had previously accused Ukraine of being involved in anti-government protests in Slovakia earlier this month. In response, Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry dismissed Fico’s remarks as “absurd” and advised him to “look in the mirror.” Fico has also called Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky an “enemy,” citing Ukraine’s refusal to renew the gas transit agreement with Russia. Zelensky, in turn, accused Fico of siding with Moscow over the West. Fico is scheduled to meet with European Commission officials on Thursday to discuss the possibility of resuming Russian gas transit through Ukraine. The Commission has confirmed that it is in talks with Ukraine on the matter. Fico has warned that Slovakia may block EU aid to Ukraine if the gas flow is not restored.
This decision has raised concerns among other EU members, such as Romania and Hungary, who have expressed their disapproval of Ukraine’s stance. Moscow has indicated its interest in resuming the gas transit, calling the issue a commercial matter. Before the 2022 escalation of the Ukraine conflict, Russian gas accounted for 40% of the EU’s total supply. As of the third quarter of 2024, Russia remains the EU’s second-largest supplier of liquefied natural gas (LNG) after the United States.
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