Slovakia has resumed gas imports from Russia via the "Turkish Stream."

The Slovak gas company SPP has resumed importing Russian gas via the "Turkish Stream" pipeline as of February 1, with plans to double supplies by April, reported the Slovak news agency TASR on February 6.

SPP's CEO, Vojtech Ferenc, confirmed that the company still holds a contract with Gazprom, citing lower transit tariffs compared to other suppliers as an advantage.

The pipeline runs through Turkey and Hungary, eventually reaching Slovakia.

However, Michal Lalik, head of the SPP trading department, pointed out that Slovakia will still require additional imports from other routes since the current import levels cannot fully meet demand.

In January, Slovakia's gas needs were primarily met from domestic reserves, which remain above average.

Ukraine did not extend the agreement for the transit of Russian gas through its territory to Europe, as the contract expired on January 1.

Kiev has repeatedly warned that it would not renew the agreement to halt financing of Russia's full-scale war.

Following Ukraine's decision, Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico threatened to limit aid to Ukrainians and halt electricity supplies due to the cessation of Russian gas transit.

Fico and his Hungarian counterpart, Viktor Orban, have become some of the most vocal opponents of Ukraine's decision to stop the transit of Russian gas.

Background. Recently, it was revealed that the European Union will soon propose a roadmap for a complete phase-out of Russian gas.

“We are not interested in increasing the use of Russian fossil fuels in the European Union. On the contrary, we are currently working on a plan to completely abandon Russian fossil fuels,” emphasized a European Commission spokesperson.