Minister of Economy Denisa Saková (Hlas) claimed on December 3 Slovakia had negotiated an extension of Russian gas imports by another two years.

The country’s left-right cabinet led by populist Prime Minister Robert Fico has opposed the EU’s plans to phase out Russian fossil fuel imports by 2027. Fico has made energy a central focus of his pro-Kremlin turn, and even delayed the latest two rounds of EU sanctions against Russia on the grounds of ensuring energy supplies and protecting the car industry.

“Slovakia managed to enforce the possibility to use the long term contract for Russian gas supply for another two years even though some European legislators demanded faster ending of imports,” Saková posted on her Facebook page on December 3.  

Slovakia has a valid contract with Gazprom until 2034, under which the Russian side is committed to sending its gas to Slovakia for free, covering gas transit fees all the way to the Slovak border. Slovakia nearly eradicated Russian gas imports in the winter 2022-2023, but following the return of Fico cabinet to power in autumn of 2023, Russian gas imports began to rise again.

Saková reiterated that the Slovak government considers the Russian fossil fuel phase out plan to be “ideological” and “a risk for the security of supplies when it is dependent on transit routes and the Russian gas still amounts to 33%” of the overall supplies.

She also added that “finalisation of infrastructure projects in neighboring countries” and that “LNG imports from the United States” would eventually replace the Russian gas.

Slovak state broadcaster STVR noted that the EU's complete ban of Russian fossil fuels should take effect on November 1, 2027 at the latest.

Fico also claimed earlier Slovakia would face a lawsuit “for €16bn” if it reneged on the valid Gazprom contract and also argued that it would incur “more expensive transit fees” and that the Slovak gas transmission utility Eustream would lose income from gas transit fees.

As bne IntelliNews reported earlier this month, the Slovak employers association Klub 500 (Club 500), grouping together companies employing 500 people or more, slammed the new rise of 70% in gas tariffs introduced by Eustream and the Slovak Regulatory Office for Network Industries (URSO).

Czech energy and media billionaire Daniel Křetínský’s EPH has a 49% stake and managerial control in Eustream, while Slovakia retains 51%.