The Prime Ministers of Hungary, Viktor Orban, and Slovakia, Robert Fico, discussed the supply of Russian gas to their countries during a meeting in Bratislava on April 28, expressing criticism of the European Union’s energy policy. They emphasized the importance of protecting national economic interests in the context of the gradual abandonment of Russian energy resources.
This is reported by Kyiv24
Orban supported the position of the Slovak Prime Minister, condemning the blockage of Russian gas transit through Ukraine and stressing that “this is not the way forward – it will be very difficult for Ukraine to get closer to Europe.”
“I completely agree with Prime Minister Robert Fico that it is unfortunate that Ukraine is blocking the supply of natural gas through its territory. In our opinion, this is not the way forward – it will be very difficult for Ukraine to get closer to Europe.”
Dependence on Russian Gas and EU Policy
Hungary is currently blocking Ukraine’s progress towards the European Union, citing concerns over Ukrainian legislation regarding national minorities. At the same time, Fico criticized the EU’s plan to stop importing energy resources from Russia by 2027, calling this move “utter nonsense” and predicting rising prices and decreased competitiveness for European industry.
Meanwhile, in January, Hungary and Slovakia blocked the extension of sanctions against Russia, demanding the resumption of transit through Ukraine. In response, the European Commission provided the Hungarian government with guarantees regarding negotiations with Ukraine and the continuation of energy transit.
Currently, Slovakia is actively seeking alternative routes for importing Russian gas. Specifically, on February 1, 2025, the company SPP began supplying gas through the “Turkish Stream” pipeline, with plans to double the volumes by April. The head of the company, Vojtech Ferenc, noted that a long-term contract with Russian “Gazprom” is valid until 2034 and there are no plans to terminate it.
Earlier, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky accused Fico of betting on Moscow and underestimating Ukraine’s interests, emphasizing that Europe’s dependence on imported Russian gas is decreasing, but some countries remain reliant on pipeline supplies through the “Turkish Stream.”