In Bid to Divide Europe, Russia Expands “Gas War” to Slovakia

Russia appeared to expand its retaliation against Western sanctions on Thursday by cutting in half its natural gas flows to European Union member state Slovakia. Prime Minister Robert Fico told a news conference in Bratislava his country had been caught up in a “political war where gas is being used as a weapon.”

After an emergency government session, Fico said the national gas company SSP had concluded a five year deal with Germany’s E.on to receive up to two million cubic meters of gas per day via Austria to compensate for the drop in Russian supplies.

Fico said SPP had recorded a more than 50 percent decline in flows for the second day in a row after smaller reductions throughout September.