According to Reuters, on September 25 local time, Slovak Prime Minister Fico said that importing energy from Russia is the most economical option, not to support Russia in the Ukraine-Russia conflict, and hopes to reach a "consensus" with the United States on this issue.
On the same day, Fico stated during a parliamentary inquiry session that the Russian oil and gas purchased by Slovakia accounts for only 2% of Russia's revenue from such energy sources, "has no impact on funding the war."
"The issue of oil and gas in Slovakia is not about supporting the war. It is also not an ideological issue that can be resolved within 15 seconds through alternatives. This is a geographical location issue, we have no other choices," Fico said.
Fico said that the cost of modifying technology to adapt to different energy sources is high, and the transportation costs of alternative energy are much higher than those from Russia. He also mentioned that Slovakia has no access to a natural gas receiving terminal.
Regarding alternative transport routes for oil, Fico said that the technical feasibility of the Adriatic oil pipeline has not been verified.
"While advancing the necessary energy diversification process, we certainly need to continue importing oil from the Russian Federation. I believe that even though the U.S. government is gradually pressuring in the opposite direction, we can still find a consensus with the U.S. side," Fico said.
Lately, as U.S. President Trump encountered setbacks in mediating the Ukraine-Russia peace, the U.S. turned to pressuring the EU, urging EU countries to stop importing all Russian energy products, assist the U.S. in combating India and China's purchase of Russian oil and gas products, and impose greater economic sanctions on Russia.
Slovakia and Hungary have always defended their actions of purchasing Russian oil and natural gas, stating that alternative energy is not only expensive but also lacks stability in supply.
On the evening of September 24 local time, Hungarian Prime Minister Orbán held a telephone conversation with Trump, and the energy security of Central and Eastern Europe was one of the topics discussed. The Hungarian Foreign Minister Szhártó previously stated that if Hungary does not import Russian natural gas and oil, its energy supply would not be guaranteed.
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