Slovakia has stopped emergency electricity supplies to Ukraine after an ultimatum over disrupted Russian oil transit expired, intensifying tensions within the European Union.
“From today, if Ukraine asks Slovakia for help stabilising its energy network, it will not receive such help,” Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico said on Monday (23 February).
Fico said Slovakia’s ambassador in Kyiv was prevented from visiting the damaged section of the Druzhba pipeline. “Stopping oil flow is a purely political decision to blackmail Slovakia,” he said. He warned that if transit is not restored, Bratislava could reconsider its support for Ukraine’s EU membership.
Ukraine says the pipeline stopped operating on 27 January 2026 following a Russian drone strike near Brody in western Ukraine. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán disputes that account and has accused Kyiv of deliberately blocking shipments.
Both Hungary and Slovakia announced on Saturday (21 February) that they would halt diesel fuel exports to Ukraine in protest at the continued suspension of crude flows through Druzhba, further escalating the energy dispute.
Meanwhile, the European Union failed to approve its 20th sanctions package against Russia on Monday after Hungary vetoed the measure and blocked a planned €90 billion loan to Ukraine. EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas described the impasse as a setback, as member states continue efforts to reach consensus on sanctions and financial support.
ℹ️ Euronews, The Los Angeles Times
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