**Slovak Energy Company and Partners Call for Continued Gas Transit Via Ukraine**
A declaration published on December 17 by Slovakia’s state-owned energy company SPP and its partners in Hungary, Italy, and Austria calls for continued gas transit through Ukraine. The agreement under which Russian gas transits to the EU via Ukrainian territory is set to expire on December 31.
**No Intent to Prolong Deal**
The declaration comes as Kyiv said it has no intention of prolonging the deal due to Moscow’s ongoing war in Ukraine. SPP chairman Vojtech Ferencz stated that replacing the entire volume of gas transiting from Ukraine would cost the company an additional 150 million euros ($157 million).
**Threat to Energy Security**
The document will be presented to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, who can receive “first-hand information about the threat to the energy and economic security in our region.” Cutting the transit will also increase gas prices ahead of the coming winter and can reduce profits of SPP’s subsidiary Eustream.
**EU Sanctions**
Despite Europe’s efforts to wean itself off Russian fossil fuels, many countries remain heavily dependent on Russian gas. Only in June this year did the EU approve the first sanctions against the Russian gas industry, targeting liquefied natural gas (LNG) rather than pipeline gas.
**Ukraine Open to Negotiations**
Following discussions with Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico, Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said Kyiv is open to negotiating gas transit for any origin except Russian. “If the European Commission officially approaches Ukraine about the transit of any gas other than Russian, we naturally will discuss it and are ready to reach an appropriate agreement,” Shmyhal noted.
**Russia’s Actions in Ukraine**
Ukraine’s Special Operations Forces killed 50 North Korean soldiers and injured 47 others in three days of fighting in Russia’s Kursk Oblast. South Korea imposed sanctions on individuals and entities “engaged in illegal military cooperation between Russia and North Korea.”
**Global Response to Russian Aggression**
The United States and the European Union have condemned Russia’s actions in Ukraine, with US State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller warning that if North Korean troops crossed the border into Ukraine to fight for Russia, it would mark a serious “escalation” in the war.
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