Sanctions introduced by Ukraine not a threat to Slovakia's energy security, their cancellation not discussed - Shmyhal

Sanctions introduced by Ukraine are not a threat to the energy security of Slovakia and Europe, so their cancellation is not a subject of discussion.

Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal announced this in his Telegram channel, Ukrainian News Agency reports.

"Sanctions introduced by Ukraine are not a threat to Slovakia's energy security. The threat is russia, its hybrid energy war against the Slovak people, its blackmail and political ultimatums," he said.

Shmyhal said that in recent weeks he had a number of conversations with the Prime Minister of Slovakia Robert Fico, according to him, all of them were in the spirit of the joint policy of new pragmatism and all of them were about the energy security of the two countries.

The Prime Minister emphasized that Ukraine insisted and continues to insist on the need to give up russian oil as much as possible, because russia and energy security are not compatible things, the EU allowed Slovakia and a number of other countries to use russian oil on the condition that the countries will actively develop alternative supply channels.

He emphasized that Ukraine remains a reliable transit point for all countries that value freedom and the rule of law, Ukraine unquestionably fulfills the Association Agreement with the EU and will continue to do so.

Shmyhal also noted that the sanctions introduced by the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine do not pose a threat to the energy security of Slovakia and Europe in general, that is why their cancellation is not a subject of discussion, there is a full understanding of Brussels in this matter.

He also added that Ukraine considers Slovakia a reliable partner from which it does not expect blackmail or threats, because threatening Ukraine, which is defending itself from an aggressor, for the sake of the terrorist state continuing to earn its bloody excess profits is a dubious way.

Shmyhal reported that they agreed with Fico on another intergovernmental meeting in October, where they will continue constructive and pragmatic dialogue.

He thanked Fico for important constructive conversations and expressed confidence that the parties will find mutually beneficial solutions for Ukraine, Slovakia, and Europe.

As Ukrainian News Agency reported, earlier the Slovak TASR agency, referring to the statement of the government office, reported that the Prime Minister of Slovakia, Robert Fico, during a telephone conversation with his Ukrainian colleague, Denys Shmyhal, offered his decision to restore the transit of russian Lukoil oil.

According to the Financial Times, the European Commission has refused to support requests by Hungary and Slovakia to call on Kyiv to lift recent sanctions against the russian oil company Lukoil.

In mid-July, it became known that the russian company Lukoil stopped the transit of its oil through Ukraine to Hungary and Slovakia. This happened after Ukraine expanded sanctions against Lukoil, banning the company from using itself as a transit country for oil supplies to Europe.

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