20 dec, 2024 13:38

Slovaški premier Robert Fico je v petek opozoril, da je možen „resen konflikt“, če ukrajinski voditelj Vladimir Zelenski „ne izpusti našega plina“. To je izjavil dan po njunem srečanju za zaprtimi vrati v Bruslju.

Slovaška razmišlja o povračilnih ukrepih proti Ukrajini zaradi njene zavrnitve nadaljnjega tranzita ruskega plina v državo EU, je Fico napovedal v objavi na Facebooku. Kijev je odločen, da ne bo podaljšal večletne tranzitne pogodbe z Rusijo, ki je kljub oboroženemu spopadu med državama omogočila pretok goriva čez njeno ozemlje. Slovaška je ena od prejemnic plina.

Slovaki niso hlapci, ki bi delali po naročilu Zelenskega, je vztrajal Fico, ki ga je marca iz bližine večkrat ustrelil aktivist, ki se ni strinjal z njegovim stališčem o oboroževanju Ukrajine. Kijev „odločno izgublja“, medtem ko Zelenski „absolutno zavrača kakršno koli prekinitev ognja“, je dejal.

Bratislava sočustvuje s položajem Kijeva in Zelenskega, je dejal predsednik vlade, vendar Slovaška „ni v nobeni vojni“ ne z Rusijo ne z Ukrajino.

Fico je dejal, da se mu zdijo predlogi v zvezi s plinom, ki mu jih je Zelenski predstavil na zasedanju Evropskega sveta, „absurdni“. Ena od zamisli je bila, da bi dovolili nadaljevanje pretoka pod pogojem, da Rusija do konca konflikta v Ukrajini ne bi prejela nobenega plačila.

„Kateri bedak nam bo dal plin zastonj?“ je Fico vprašal novinarje.

Slovaška Ukrajini pomaga z nevojaško pomočjo, med drugim s prenosom električne energije v njeno elektroenergetsko omrežje, ki nima dovolj zmogljivosti, je dejal predsednik vlade. Odnosi med državama ne smejo biti enosmerni, je zatrdil Fico in dodal: „Ne morem popolnoma izključiti vzajemnih ukrepov.“ Njegova vlada bo v naslednjem tednu preučila svoje možnosti, je dejal.

Kijev je pred tem predstavil zamisel, da bi dovolil črpanje plina, ki ni ruskega izvora, po plinovodih, zgrajenih v Sovjetski zvezi, na ukrajinskem ozemlju. Po navedbah uradnikov bi lahko bil vir takšne dobave Azerbajdžan.

V torek so evropski kupci ruskega plina iz plinovodov, vključno s slovaško družbo SPP, opozorili Evropsko komisijo, da grozeča ukinitev ukrajinskega tranzita predstavlja veliko tveganje za članice EU, in Bruselj pozvali k ukrepanju.

Ruski predsednik Vladimir Putin je v četrtek med letnim maratonom vprašanj in odgovorov dejal, da je Kijev povzročil zaostrovanje spora. Ruski plinski velikan Gazprom „lahko živi“ brez tranzita, je zatrdil.

*** prevod narejen s pomočjo www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version) ***

===== Izvirni prispevek https://www.rt.com/news/609692-fico-conflict-gas-transit/ =====

20 Dec, 2024 13:38
EU state warns of ‘serious conflict’ with Kiev

Prime Minister Robert Fico has warned of ‘retaliation’ after Ukraine refused to continue transiting gas to Slovakia

A “serious conflict” is possible if Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky “doesn’t release our gas,” Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico warned on Friday. He made the comment a day after a behind-closed-doors meeting between the two in Brussels.

Slovakia is considering retaliation against Ukraine over its refusal to continue transit of Russian gas to the EU nation, Fico announced in a Facebook post. Kiev is determined not to renew a multi-year transit contract with Russia, which allowed the fuel to flow across its territory despite the armed conflict between the two nations. Slovakia is one of the recipients of the gas.

Slovaks are not servants doing the bidding of Zelensky, Fico, who in March was shot multiple times at close range by an activist who disagreed with his stance on arming Ukraine, insisted. Kiev is “losing decisively,” while Zelensky “absolutely rejects any ceasefire,” he said.

Bratislava is sympathetic towards Kiev’s situation and Zelensky’s predicament, the prime minister said, but Slovakia is “not at any war” either with Russia or Ukraine.

Fico said the proposals regarding the gas situation, which Zelensky outlined to him at a European Council meeting, seemed “absurd.” One idea was to allow the flow to continue on condition that Russia would not receive any payment until the end of the Ukraine conflict.

“What fool will give us gas for free?” Fico asked journalists.

Slovakia is helping Ukraine by providing non-military assistance, including by transferring electricity to its capacity-starved power grid, the prime minister said. Relations between the two nations cannot be a one-way street, Fico asserted, adding: “I cannot completely rule out reciprocal measures.” His government will consider its options over the next week, he said.

Kiev previously floated the idea of letting gas that is not Russian in origin to be pumped through the Soviet-built pipelines on Ukrainian territory. Azerbaijan could be the source of such supplies, according to officials.

On Tuesday, European buyers of Russian pipeline gas, including Slovakia’s SPP, warned the European Commission that the looming termination of Ukrainian transit posed significant risks to members of the EU, and urged Brussels to act.

The escalating row has been caused by Kiev, Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday, during his annual Q&A marathon. Russian gas giant Gazprom “can live” without the transit, he insisted.

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Povezano (ali pač):

Premier države EU obtožuje Zelenskega poskusa podkupovanja

Slovaški premier Robert Fico je dejal, da „nikoli“ ne bo sprejel denarja iz Kijeva

Slovaški premier Robert Fico je ukrajinskega voditelja Vladimirja Zelenskega obtožil, da ga je poskušal podkupiti s 500 milijoni evrov, da bi Bratislavo prepričal, naj podpre Kijev pri vstopu v Nato ...

... Spomnil je, da ukrajinski voditelj med pogovori ni dovolil tranzita goriva, temveč je ponudil „absurdne“ predloge za rešitev vprašanja plina.

Fico je trdil, da [ga] je Zelenski med drugim „vprašal, ali bom glasoval za članstvo [Ukrajine] v Natu, če mi da 500 milijonov evrov iz ruskega premoženja“, zamrznjenega na Zahodu po izbruhu konflikta med Moskvo in Kijevom.

Slovaški premier je dejal, da je ukrajinskemu voditelju takoj povedal, da na takšno ponudbo „nikoli“ ne bo pristal.

„Poznate moje mnenje o članstvu Ukrajine v Natu in čudno je, da mi je zastavil takšno vprašanje, saj dobro ve, da je vabilo Ukrajine v Nato popolnoma nerealno,“ je poudaril ...

*** prevod narejen s pomočjo www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version) ***

===== https://www.rt.com/news/609724-fico-zelensky-ukraine-nato/ =====

21 Dec, 2024 09:14
EU state’s PM accuses Zelensky of attempted bribery
Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico has said that he will “never” accept money from Kiev

Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico has accused Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky of attempting to bribe him with €500 million, in order to persuade Bratislava to support Kiev’s bid to join NATO.

Fico made the revelation at a press conference in Brussels on Thursday, shortly after his behind-closed-doors meeting with Zelensky on the sidelines of an EU leader’s summit.

The prime minister, who in March was shot multiple times by an activist who opposed his critical stance towards Ukraine, told journalists that Bratislava could consider “reciprocal measures” after Kiev refused to extend its gas transit deal with Russia, on which Slovakia depends for gas, and which is set to expire at the end of the year.

Ukraine has cited the ongoing conflict for the decision to block transit gas while Fico has emphasized the need for alternative solutions to avoid a crisis.

He recalled that during their talks, the Ukrainian leader declined to allow the transit of fuel, instead offering “absurd” proposals to settle the gas issue.

Fico claimed that, among other things, Zelensky “asked me if I would vote for NATO membership [of Ukraine] if he gave me €500 million from Russian assets” frozen in the West after the outbreak of the conflict between Moscow and Kiev.

The Slovak PM said that he told the Ukrainian leader straight away that he would “never” agree to such an offer.

“You know my opinion on Ukraine’s membership in NATO, and it is strange that he asked me such a question because he knows very well that Ukraine’s invitation to NATO is completely unrealistic,” he stressed.

Ukrainian opposition MP Artyom Dmitruk, who reportedly fled the country earlier this year fearing prosecution, said that Zelensky has again “disgraced” Ukraine in front of the whole world by trying to bribe Fico.

“I am more than confident that the talk could have been not about the money from the ‘Russian assets,’ but simply about the cash that Ze[lensky] could have brought in a suitcase,” Dmitruk wrote on Telegram on Friday.

Moscow, which views NATO as hostile and vigorously opposes its eastward expansion, highlighted Kiev’s aspirations to join the US-led bloc as being among the main reasons for launching its military operation in February 2022.

However, Kiev kept insisting on its NATO membership throughout the conflict, calling it the only way of deterring Russia. In early December, Zelensky said that he would ask US President Joe Biden to issue a formal invitation to the bloc for Kiev before his successor Donald Trump, who is skeptical about prolonging American aid to Ukraine, is inaugurated on January 20, 2025.

French newspaper Le Monde reported earlier that not only Slovakia, but such member states as the US, Germany, Hungary, Slovakia, Belgium, Slovenia and Spain are currently against Ukraine joining NATO.

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