The EU is considering the option of using Ukraine’s gas storage facilities to settle disputes with Slovakia
The European Union is considering a new solution to the gas dispute between Ukraine and Slovakia, which involves the use of Ukrainian underground gas storage facilities. About this informs Political.
The plan aims to compensate the financial losses of Slovakia, which received up to 500 million euros every year for the transit of Russian gas through Ukrainian territory. This proposal was first discussed by European commissioners during their visit to Kyiv last month. Currently, the European Commission is studying the possibility of restoring gas flows through Slovakia, but without the involvement of Russia.
According to the plan, Ukraine could increase gas imports from Greece and Turkey, accumulate up to 10 billion cubic meters in its own storage facilities, and in winter, during the period of peak demand, supply gas through the Slovak gas transport system, in particular to Hungary.
The representative of the European Commission emphasized that such a scheme will allow Slovakia to return to the role of a transit country, while meeting the goals of the REPowerEU strategy, which provides for the EU’s complete rejection of Russian energy carriers by 2027.
It will be recalled that on March 12, the supply of oil to Slovakia through the Druzhba pipeline was resumed. The southern branch of the oil pipeline, which transports Russian oil to Europe, passes through Ukraine near the Slovak border and branches out: one thread leads to Slovakia and the Czech Republic, the other to Hungary.
