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Slovakia says gas supply meeting with Ukraine, European Commission cancelled

A conference between Slovak, Ukrainian and European Commission authorities over gas products prepared for Tuesday has actually been cancelled since Kyiv will not take part, Slovakia stated on Monday.

The Commission is looking for a brand-new date for a conference, the federal government of Slovakia's pro-Russian Prime Minister Robert Fico stated in a declaration.

Fico has actually accused Kyiv of harmful Slovakia by not extending a transit deal for Russian gas, and has actually threatened to cut electricity flows to Ukraine and lower aid for its refugees.

Kyiv has said completion of gas transit deprives Moscow of income as long as Russia continues to attack Ukraine.

Slovakia has actually arranged alternative gas sources and routes, but Fico has actually argued that completion of Ukraine's transit of Russian gas meant that Slovakia lost its own transit revenue and needed to pay more to bring gas from somewhere else.

Fico put the expense for Slovakia at 500 million euros ($ 519. million) and said he would seek the restart of the circulations or. settlement. The Slovak federal government caps gas prices, so might deal with. increased costs if it pays more for gas.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has implicated Fico of. opening a 2nd energy front versus Ukraine on the orders of. Russia.

Ukraine, whose power infrastructure has suffered from. Russian battle, has actually synchronised its grid with the European. Union and has actually been trading electrical energy through high-voltage. connections with Poland, Slovakia, Hungary and Romania.

Its energy minister has actually said Ukraine might offset a. potential cut in circulations from Slovakia, which represented about. 20% of the country's imports.

It was not immediately clear how Fico prepared to restrict. the circulations, that include industrial supplies in addition to. emergency aid, sometimes when Ukraine requires it.

(source: Reuters)