Slovakia Stands Firm Amid U.S. Pressure on Russian Energy Imports

Slovakia's Prime Minister, Robert Fico, has expressed a commitment to find common ground with the United States amid ongoing pressure to cease Russian energy imports. This comes as Slovakia continues to purchase energy from Moscow, despite European Union efforts to isolate Russia following its 2022 invasion of Ukraine. The EU aims to phase out Russian fuel, citing its potential revenue contribution to the conflict.

Fico addressed the issue during a Q&A with lawmakers, revealing Slovakia's oil and gas imports amount to a mere 2% of Russia's revenue. He argued that the purchases have no impact on financing the war and framed the energy dilemma as a geographical rather than ideological issue. Changing technologies to cater to alternative energy sources, he said, is costly and constrained by the lack of access to gas terminals.

Prime Minister Fico emphasized Slovakia's need for Russian oil due to high transport costs and unproven alternative routes, like the Adriatic pipeline. He is optimistic about reaching an agreement with the U.S., even as the current administration applies pressure. Meanwhile, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban and U.S. President Donald Trump discussed energy security in Central Europe, highlighting the ongoing regional reliance on Russian energy.