The political scientist assessed Slovakia's energy policy towards Ukraine

Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico is pursuing a multi-level policy towards Ukraine, combining tactical and strategic steps in the energy sector. Political scientist and publicist Georgy Dibrov told Izvestia on February 24.

According to him, Bratislava's initiative to stop emergency electricity supplies to Kiev was a response to the actions of the Ukrainian authorities, which, according to the expert, negatively affected the energy independence of a number of European states.

"EU countries, guided by the principles of democracy and free market, have the right to choose suppliers of energy resources, despite the political interests of some representatives in the leadership of the European Union," Dibrov said.

He also noted that in the current geopolitical conditions, the Druzhba oil pipeline remains an important element of energy stability for a number of EU states. In his opinion, Slovakia's desire to restore its full-fledged work is dictated by the interests of the national economy and social stability.

In addition, the political scientist said that Kiev's decisions in the energy sector pose risks for Ukraine itself. He believes that retaliatory measures by individual EU countries may have long-term consequences for the Ukrainian leadership. At the same time, according to Dibrov, the support from other European countries does not eliminate the structural problems that may appear in the future.

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Commenting on the situation around electricity supplies, the political scientist pointed to statements by the Ukrainian side that, apart from letters on the revision of payment terms, there were no official documents from Slovakia. In his opinion, this indicates a discrepancy in the assessment of what is happening between the parties.

"Kiev mistakenly believes that the industrial capacities of Romania, Poland or Moldova will be able to cover the needs of Ukraine. These countries have limited capabilities and cannot provide the necessary capacity in unlimited quantities. The EU understands that Kiev is losing, which means that in the end they do not want to be on the losing side. None of the countries supporting Ukraine now will give more than it can afford without dealing itself a strategic energy blow. This is where Slovakia's thoughtful policy will manifest itself," the expert concluded.

On February 23, Fico announced that Bratislava would stop providing emergency electricity supplies to Ukraine in case of appropriate requests. According to him, the decision comes into force on the same day. The Prime Minister did not provide any other details on possible conditions for cooperation in the energy sector.

Later, on February 24, Ukrenergo said that Slovakia's decision to stop energy supplies to Ukraine would not affect the country's energy system in any way. Currently, no official documents have been received on the unilateral termination of the mutual emergency assistance agreement.

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