Slovakia summons Ukrainian ambassador over gas transit feud

Slovakia summoned Ukraine’s ambassador to discuss recent statements over gas transit, as the ill-tempered dispute between the two countries rumbled on.

Slovakia’s Foreign Minister Jurai Blanár accused Ukrainian authorities of interfering in Slovakia’s internal affairs with their comments, Slovak media reported on Wednesday, but didn’t say which statements he was referring to.

There’s no shortage of candidates.

On Tuesday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy criticized Slovakia’s Prime Minister Robert Fico for buying gas from Russia instead of the United States or other countries.

“Many in Europe … have chosen to preserve their independence and sovereignty. But not Mr. Fico. He chooses Moscow over America and other partners who can provide his country with gas on commercial terms. This is his mistake,” Zelenskyy said in a post on X.

On the same day, Ukraine’s foreign ministry accused Fico of having been “poisoned by Russian propaganda.”

Fico himself has been making increasingly provocative statements over Kyiv’s decision to halt Russian gas transit through Ukraine after the agreement expired on Jan. 1. Slovakia — and Hungary — wanted to extend the deal and continue importing Russian fuel through Ukraine, but Kyiv rebuffed their requests.

Earlier on Tuesday, Slovak media reported Fico had called Zelenskyy an “enemy” of Slovakia due to the gas transit dispute.

“Our enemy is Zelenskyy. Zelenskyy caused the problems we have. I don’t like him because he harms Slovakia,” Fico said during a meeting at the Slovak parliament, adding that he will continue to “put pressure on Ukraine to return to its commitment to transport gas.”

Attempts to resolve the dispute have so far proven fruitless.