Sutaj Estok: If Slovakia Isn't Partner for Ukraine, It Must Take Measures

Bratislava, 23 February (TASR) - If Slovakia isn't a respected partner state for Ukraine, it will have to take measures such as stopping electricity supplies to Ukraine, said Interior Minister Matus Sutaj Estok (Voice-SD) on Monday. "Stopping electricity supplies to Ukraine is important from the point of view that if there was a power outage when our transmission system is able to start up the Ukrainian one, there will be no significant loss to the public budget. This money is incomparable to what we're losing due to Ukraine blocking gas transit to Slovakia," said Sutaj Estok. Education Minister Tomas Drucker (Voice-SD) doesn't feel that Ukraine is acting like a partner at the moment, while Sutaj Estok stated that he's surprised at how "arrogantly" Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is treating the current Slovak government. According to the interior minister, the suspension of strategic energy supplies is a huge problem for the Slovak economy. "It's a loss that is significant and noticeable in public finances," he stated, adding that he doesn't consider the current situation with oil supplies to be what a friendly partner country deserves. Drucker added that Economy Minister Denisa Sakova (Voice-SD) is communicating with Croatia, the Czech Republic and Hungary regarding diversification. "She herself says that communication from the Ukrainian side is weak and that we aren't receiving clear information," noted Drucker. Premier Robert Fico (Smer-SD) has stated that he'll visit the state-run Slovak Electricity Transmission System (SEPS) on Monday and ask it to stop emergency electricity supplies to Ukraine in response to a halt in the transit of Russian oil through Ukrainian territory to Slovakia and Hungary. am/df