RUSSIAN PRESIDENT MEETS SLOVAK PM – Ukraine Gas Transit Contract Runs Out
The situation with European countries that buy Russian gas is very complicated and requires increased attention, the Kremlin said on Monday (December 23) after talks the previous day between President Vladimir Putin and Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said he could not provide more details about the talks, which also touched on bilateral relations and the Ukraine war.
Fico said on Sunday that Putin had confirmed Russian willingness to continue to supply gas to Slovakia, even though the Slovak leader said this was “practically impossible” once a gas transit agreement between Russia and Ukraine expires at the end of the year. It was not clear what potential solution the two leaders might have discussed.
Ukraine has declined to renew the gas transit deal. President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said last week this might be possible, but only on condition that Russia was not paid for the gas until after the war was over.
Peskov told reporters.”You heard the statement from the Ukrainian side, and you know about the positions of those European countries that continue to buy Russian gas and that consider this necessary for the normal operation of their economies,” “Therefore, there is now a very complicated situation here that requires increased attention.”
