Fico: “are we really such idiots?” — on buying Russian gas through American intermediaries

Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico said that the European Union’s energy policy will force European countries to pay more for Russian energy resources and will increase dependence on the United States.

He published the relevant excerpt on X.

According to Fico, abandoning direct purchases of Russian fuel will result in Europe receiving it through American intermediaries at a high markup.

“Well, this will be very funny. The Russians will supply gas and oil to the Americans at standard prices, and the Americans will sell it to us with a high American markup. Are we really such idiots now?” — Fico asked.

The Slovak prime minister also stressed the need to diversify suppliers and noted that the American side is interested in acquiring “all the infrastructure.” He separately expressed outrage that Slovakia is being prevented from purchasing Russian energy resources, “but France can buy Russian liquefied gas.”

Fico described the EU’s intention to completely abandon Russian energy as “ideologically motivated and damaging to European competitiveness.”

“We cannot replace one energy dependency with another, this time an American one, simply out of hatred for Russia. This will cost significantly more,” he said.

At the end of April, Slovakia, following Hungary, filed a lawsuit against the European Union’s decision to abandon imports of Russian gas. Under the decisions adopted, imports of LNG from Russia will cease from January 1, 2027, and pipeline gas from September 30, 2027. Slovakia has a contract with Russia for gas imports until 2034 and receives it via the TurkStream pipeline.

On May 9, Fico met with Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Kremlin. Following the meeting, the Slovak prime minister said he had “several serious signals for partners in the European Union.” Putin assured Fico that Russia would do everything necessary to ensure Slovakia’s energy supply. Fico noted the formation of a new “Iron Curtain” in Europe, but emphasized that Bratislava favors friendly relations with Moscow. Putin agreed that ties between the two countries are complicated by the “confrontational line” of the EU and NATO, but said that dialogue is nonetheless being restored.