Slovakia refuses to supply Russian gas to Ukraine

Bratislava has refused to arrange reverse supplies of Russian gas to Ukraine. Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico said that the country could not afford that.

A priority for the country is guaranteed and safe delivery of Russian gas to the country via Ukraine, the prime minister said. Fico also referred to the problems that arose during the negotiations on reverse supplies with the Ukrainian side. The official did not specify what the talks were about exactly.

The head of the government of Slovakia reminded Kiev that any assistance had its limits, that any assistance was economically limited. Reverse supplies to Ukraine may harm Slovak companies.

It may go about considerable spending, which the Ukrainian side can not guarantee. Eurostream was supposed to invest about 20 million euros in the project.

The government of Viktor Yanukovich also conducted negotiations about the deliveries of Russian gas to Ukraine via Slovakia. However, after the Russian side gave Yanukovych a discount, Kiev refused from Bratislava's guarantee. The government of Arseny Yatsenyuk initiated the negotiations again. It goes about the supplies of 27 billion cubic meters of natural gas.