Poland Able to Assist Ukraine If Slovakia Cuts Off Energy in Fuel Spat

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(Bloomberg) — Poland is prepared to step up electricity exports to Ukraine if Slovakia’s Prime Minister Robert Fico follows through on his threat to cut off back-up power supplies to the war-torn country, a senior official said on Sunday. 

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The Polish government stands ready to boost domestic power production to compensate for any imbalances that Ukraine’s strained system would suffer in the event of a Slovak move, according to the official, who asked not to be identified as the talks are private.

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Warsaw’s assurances come amid an escalating row over the way forward for fuel transit by Ukraine. Fico made the risk two days in the past, when he stated Slovakia would cease supplying electrical energy that Ukraine urgently wants throughout community outages, if crucial. Nearly three years after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Bratislava nonetheless depends on low-cost fuel from Gazprom PJSC, undermining a push by the European Union to cut back reliance on Russian power.

The clock is ticking on Russian fuel flows by Ukraine to Europe, that are set to finish on Dec. 31 when the present association expires. Whereas Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has repeatedly acknowledged he gained’t allow fuel that advantages the Kremlin’s battle machine to transit his nation from January, he has signaled he’d be open to transporting the gas from international locations apart from Russia if the European Fee so requests.

The fee, which earlier than the battle helped dealer transit agreements between Kyiv and Moscow, is staying out of negotiations. As a substitute, it has confused that alternate options sources can be found and that the area’s fuel storage ranges are excessive.

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Whereas the EU goals to part out sourcing fossil fuels from Russia by 2027, fuel hasn’t been a part of sanctions the bloc has taken in opposition to Moscow because the February 2022 invasion. Which means corporations are nonetheless permitted to conclude contracts and proceed imports if these agreements are in keeping with present EU laws. 

Vitality analysts have identified that, even when a deal is reached to proceed transit through Ukraine, it’s going to solely be non permanent because the fee prepares a roadmap to finish the bloc’s power imports from Russia. That technique is about to be unveiled in February.

Russia has stepped up missile and drone assaults on Ukraine’s power infrastructure since March, destroying about half its power-generating capacities and inflicting blackouts throughout the nation. Ukraine closely depends on imports, together with from Slovakia. 

Slovakia continues to obtain Russian oil by the Druzhba pipeline that transits Ukraine. Kyiv may halt these provides in a doable counter-move, if Slovakia does cease electrical energy exports, a separate individual acquainted with the state of affairs stated on Saturday.

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