In his letter, Fico noted that the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, allegedly declared "unilaterally, without any open consultations with the authorities of the European Union or affected member states" that after January 1, Ukraine would no longer facilitate the transit of gas from the aggressor state, Russia, through its territory.
The Slovak Prime Minister stated that his country "will incur significant financial losses" due to this decision. Furthermore, he believes it "will also have a substantial negative impact on the pan-European efforts to keep pace with the rapidly developing countries of the world."
As a point of argument, the Slovak Prime Minister presented calculations showing how the cessation of Russian gas transit through Ukraine (which accounts for approximately 3.5% of gas consumption in the EU) will lead to additional costs within the European Union.
Additionally, Fico suggested that the real possibility of exporting gas from Europe to Ukraine may cease to exist, forcing Ukraine to rely solely on its own gas production.
"The unilateral termination of transit through Ukraine to Slovakia will deprive European citizens, businesses, and infrastructure of tens of billions of euros annually, Ukraine of nearly €800 million and the opportunity to import gas from Europe, and Slovakia of over €400 million per year in transit fees and more than €1 billion in raw material prices. The overall losses caused by Russia will amount to around €2 billion," calculated the Slovak Prime Minister.
According to Fico, "the tacit consent to the unilateral decision of the Ukrainian president is completely irrational and incorrect and will lead to tension and retaliatory measures."