Czech Republic offers to help out Slovakia with gas transmission problem

The Czech Republic is ready to provide Slovakia with gas transmission capacity through its territory, Czech Trade and Industry Minister Lukáš Vlček announced on Monday. The minister said he had assured his Slovak counterpart Denise Saková that if Slovakia needs to use the Czech energy or gas infrastructure for gas transit, it is ready to provide the service and has sufficient capacity to cover Slovakia’s needs. He said Bratislava had welcomed the proposal.

Ukraine pumps Russian natural gas through its territory to several European countries including Slovakia but it is expected to halt the flow when the existing transit deal - signed before Moscow's invasion of Ukraine - expires at the end of the year. Last week, Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico threatened Ukraine with retaliatory measures - including halting electricity supplies if Kyiv stops the transit of Russian gas to Slovakia after the New Year.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy accused Fico of opening a "second energy front" against Kyiv on the orders of Russia.