During a conversation at the European Union summit, Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico claimed that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy attempted to bribe him to get his vote for NATO membership, according to the report by Politico.
Fico stated that after mentioning Slovakia might lose €500 million in gas transit fees annually, Zelenskyy proposed providing €500 million from Russian assets if Fico supported Ukraine’s NATO membership. Fico firmly rejected the offer, saying, “Never.”
Fico also expressed that Ukraine’s actions had negatively impacted the EU economy and contributed to the worsening gas crisis. On January 1, 2025, the Gazprom gas transit agreement between Ukraine and Russia will end, causing Russia’s share of Europe’s gas supply to drop by 6%.
Additionally, the EU Commissioner for Energy, Dan Jørgensen, had confirmed plans to cut energy reliance on Russia as it prepares for the cessation of transit.
Previously, Fico had asked Zelenskyy if other types of gas could transited through Ukraine’s pipeline, but Zelenskyy rejected the idea. Moreover, Fico also stated in a press conference that his nation should not pay higher gas prices due to the war, which Zelensky later criticized Slovakia for talking about money while lives are lost.
The United States, Germany, Hungary, Slovakia, Belgium, Slovenia and Spain are countries that oppose Ukraine’s membership to NATO.
NATO’s “open door policy” is based on Article 10 of the North Atlantic Treaty, which states that any European country can join if it can contribute to the security of the North Atlantic area. The North Atlantic Council must reach a consensus among all members to invite a country to join.
