MOSCOW, January 9. /TASS/. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has chosen not to reveal how exactly Russian gas currently gets to Slovakia.
"I will refrain from making any comments about this," he said, answering a question at a briefing.
The issue was brought up in the context of statements by Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico. who said that he and Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed on reliable gas supplies to the republic at reasonable prices during their December talks in Moscow.
On January 1, transit of Russian gas to Europe through Ukraine was completely stopped due to Kiev's refusal to extend a previous agreement, which provided for pumping 40 billion cubic meters annually. Earlier, Gazprom reported that this refusal by Kiev deprived the Russian holding of the technical and legal ability to supply fuel via this route. Meanwhile, data from European gas transportation operators confirm that supplies to Austria, Italy, Moldova, Slovakia and the Czech Republic have been stopped in this direction.
Nevertheless, Peskov essentially confirmed that Slovakia was indeed receiving Russian energy resources. He pointed out that there are still countries in Europe interested in supplies of Russian natural gas.
"These countries want to buy it. Supplies of such gas can make the national economy, the economy of these countries, more competitive. These countries work in their own interests," the press secretary of the Russian president said.
Peskov recalled that the main beneficiary of the termination of Russian gas supplies to Europe is the United States, which sells its liquefied natural gas (LNG) to the EU at higher prices.
"We know that spot prices for LNG, of course, are subject to much higher volatility. This reduces the competitiveness of the European economy and adds to the hardships faced by the citizens of European countries," the Kremlin representative stated.