Russian President Vladimir Putin promised Slovakia that the Russian company "Gazprom" would find alternative ways to supply the country with contracted gas after the end of transit through Ukraine. This was stated by Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico, quoted by "Reuters".
Fico met with Putin in Moscow on December 22 and the two discussed gas and the war in Ukraine after Kiev decided to prevent the passage of Russian gas through the country from January 1.
Fico threatened to take retaliatory measures against Kiev, as Slovakia wanted to continue receiving Russian gas through Ukraine in order to reduce costs and continue to earn income from further gas supplies to Europe.
"I spoke with Putin about a contract between us and "Gazprom", which states that they must somehow supply us with gas," Fico told a parliamentary committee.
"We can send something through the South Stream (route through Turkey), but for now we have it in storage, Slovakia's consumption is ensured," the prime minister assured.
Fico stated that Putin had guaranteed that Russia would fulfill its obligations, even though the capacity of the "Turkish Stream" gas pipeline and the connecting route carrying Russian gas via Turkey to Europe is limited.
"President Putin guarantees that they will keep their commitments," the Slovak leader said.
A part could be delivered via Western Europe, he said, referring to Slovakia's pipeline connections to the gas networks of its Central and Western European neighbors.
Fico claimed that Europe had suffered losses of several billion euros from the rise in gas prices caused by the lack of about 13.5 billion cubic meters of gas via Ukraine last year, including about 3 billion cubic meters for Slovakia's consumption.
He said he was close to an agreement to continue deliveries via Ukraine, with Russian gas changing ownership before entering Ukraine under a deal involving Azerbaijan or Slovak gas importer SPP. However, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky rejected the extension of any gas flows through Ukraine at the EU summit in December.
Slovakia is also currently receiving gas from the Russian Federation, Russian media claim, which the Kremlin has cryptically confirmed, but without providing any specifics. For example, yesterday, the Russian president's press secretary Dmitry Peskov did not reveal the route: "I will refrain from commenting here."