The suspension of Russian gas transit through Ukraine will impact the European Union, not Russia, Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico stated in his New Year’s address. The company responsible for overseeing gas flows through Slovakia confirmed the suspension of deliveries.

The Slovak Prime Minister reiterated that Kyiv’s decision to halt the transit of Russian gas through Ukraine could cost Slovakia hundreds of millions of euros. According to Fico, this move will also lead to higher import prices for Russian gas.

Fico emphasized his commitment to continuing a balanced foreign policy oriented toward „all four corners of the world.” He highlighted that this policy is based on respect for international law and the principle of non-interference in the internal affairs of other countries. „At the top of Slovakia’s pyramid of interests is peace,” said Fico, concluding his speech with New Year’s wishes in several languages, including Swedish, Spanish, English, and Russian.

Eustream, the company supervising gas transmission within Slovakia, assured in a statement on Wednesday that it is ready to secure supplies for all consumers. A similar assurance was provided by the State Gas Company (SPP), which emphasized that it had been preparing for potential disruptions in Russian gas supplies for some time.

SPP CEO Vojtech Ferencz told reporters that the company has contracts for gas supplies from alternative sources, such as BP, Exxon Mobil, Shell, ENI, and RWE. He added that Slovakia has pipeline connections with all neighboring countries, allowing for flexibility in sourcing gas.

The preferred import routes include the pipeline from Germany through Austria or the Czech Republic, as well as the southern route via TurkStream, which runs through Turkey, Bulgaria, Serbia, and Hungary.

Ferencz acknowledged that transporting gas through Poland, although costly, remains a backup option.