Slovakia's Fico wants to find a 'common ground" with the US over Russian energy supplies

Robert Fico, the Slovak prime minister, said that Slovakia expected to find "common grounds" with the United States following pressure to stop Russian energy purchases. He defended receiving supplies in Moscow. The European Union wants to isolate Russia in anticipation of its invasion of Ukraine in 2022 and has halted purchases of Russian fuel, which could provide revenue for the war. Donald Trump, the U.S. president, has said that he also wants to see an end to Russian energy purchases by the European Union.

Slovakia and Hungary have, on the other hand, consistently defended their purchase of Russian gas and oil, claiming that alternatives were expensive and unreliable.

Fico told lawmakers in a Thursday question-and answer session that Slovakia's purchases of oil and natural gas accounted for 2% (of Russia's revenues) from these sources, and had "no effect on funding the war".

"The oil and gas problem in Slovakia isn't a matter of supporting war." Fico stated that it is not a question of ideology which we can answer with alternative solutions in 15 seconds.

"It's a geographic issue. We simply don't have any other options." Fico claimed that changing technology to accommodate other sources is expensive, and transport fees for Russian fuel are higher. Fico said that Slovakia has no access to gas storage terminals.

Fico has said that the Adriatic Pipeline is not technologically proven.

Fico stated that "with necessary diversification it is necessary to maintain oil imports from the Russian Federation, and I believe we'll find common ground with U.S. Administration, which is slowly creating pressure in an opposite direction." On Wednesday evening, Hungarian PM Viktor Orban spoke with Trump about energy security for central Europe.

Peter Szijjarto, the Hungarian foreign minister, has stated that Hungary cannot guarantee its energy supply without Russian oil and gas imports. (Reporting and editing by Barbara Lewis in Prague, with Jason Hovet reporting from Prague)

(source: Reuters)