Richard Kvasnovsky, president of the union, questioned the viability of the single transportation tariff mechanism proposed by the European Commission to reduce costs in landlocked countries.

He highlighted problems with key gas pipelines from Germany to the Czech Republic and Austria, vital infrastructure for supplying Slovakia.

The Slovak government supported the 18th package of sanctions against Russia in exchange for promises from the European Union to resolve the supply after the planned cutoff of Russian hydrocarbons in 2027.

For his part, Prime Minister Robert Fico warned that the blockade of Russian gas would raise transit costs and affect European industrial competitiveness.

Local analysts agree that the energy transition requires urgent investments in infrastructure to avoid shortages.

Slovakia imports more than 80% of its gas from Russia, according to official data.

The European Union seeks to put nan end to Russian fuels supply, but Central European economies demand guarantees against the risks of rising prices and destabilization.

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