Kathrine Frich
Europe has spent the past several years trying to reduce its dependence on Russian energy following Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
The European Union has gradually introduced restrictions on Russian oil and gas as part of its sanctions against the Kremlin.
Despite those efforts, some EU countries remain heavily dependent on Russian supplies and are now seeking ways to secure future deliveries.
Talks with Gazprom
Slovakia’s national gas company SPP is negotiating with Russia’s state-owned energy giant Gazprom to increase natural gas imports for 2026 and 2027.
According to Reuters, the discussions began before a recent surge in energy prices linked to regional tensions affecting global liquefied natural gas (LNG) exports.
If an agreement is reached, Russian gas could potentially cover all of Slovakia’s domestic demand by 2027.
Supply challenges
Slovakia’s energy situation has become more complicated since the end of Russian gas transit through Ukraine in December 2024.
SPP said in November that it had received only about one-third of the Russian gas volumes originally expected for 2025.
Historically, Russian supplies accounted for the majority of Slovakia’s annual gas imports, amounting to roughly 3 billion cubic meters.
Infrastructure limits
Slovakia has attempted to secure additional Russian gas through alternative routes, including pipelines running through Turkey.
However, infrastructure constraints have limited how much gas can be delivered through those channels.
SPP currently supplies around two-thirds of Slovakia’s total gas demand and maintains a long-term contract with Gazprom that runs until 2034.
EU restrictions
The negotiations come as the European Union prepares stricter rules aimed at phasing out Russian energy imports.
EU regulations generally discourage member states from increasing contracts with Russian gas suppliers as part of efforts to penalize Moscow over the war in Ukraine.
Under current EU plans, member states are expected to stop importing Russian liquefied natural gas by the end of 2026, though some countries — including Slovakia and Hungary — have received temporary exemptions for existing agreements until 2027.
Source: Reuters, United24Media.
