Poland to aid Ukraine if Slovakia cuts power supplies, Bloomberg reports

Poland is prepared to increase its energy production and exports to Ukraine if Slovakia's prime minister follows through on his threat to sever the country's electricity supply, a high-ranking official informed Bloomberg news agency on the condition of anonymity.

The city of Uzhgorod during a power cut, Western Ukraine, 13 December 2024. Power cuts have been reported across Ukraine after Russian forces launched a large-scale country-wide attack on the night between 12 and 13 December 2024, with around 90 missiles and 190 unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), according to Ukrainian President Zelensky.

IGOR TKACHENKO/PAP/EPA

Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico has threatened to stop exporting electricity to Ukraine if Kyiv proceeds with its plan to end the transit of Russian gas. The current deal for Russian gas transit is set to expire on December 31.

Fico made this threat after meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, as Russian attacks have heavily damaged Ukraine's energy infrastructure. This has led to frequent blackouts and increased reliance on EU imports, including from Slovakia.

Poland is prepared to step up electricity exports to Ukraine if Slovakia follows through on its threat to cut off back-up power supplies to the war-torn country, a senior official said on Sunday https://t.co/l6Czll6UUf

— Bloomberg Markets (@markets) December 29, 2024

Despite the EU's efforts to reduce dependency on Russian energy, Slovakia continues to buy Russian oil and gas.

A former Slovak foreign minister criticized Fico’s stance, warning that it could damage Slovakia’s relationships and economic interests.

Slovakia remains reliant on affordable gas supplies from Gazprom, despite efforts to reduce EU countries' dependence on Russian energy resources. The country also imports Russian oil via the Druzhba pipeline, which runs through Ukraine.

The Druzhba pipeline. Photo: Worldview/Stratfor

Source: IAR/Bloomberg

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