Slovak authorities threaten to stop emergency supplies of electricity to Ukraine

Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico said he would order a halt to emergency supplies of electricity to Ukraine if Kyiv does not resume oil transit to Slovakia by next Monday. According to Fico, in this case he will turn to the relevant structures and energy companies with a demand to stop the supply of “emergency” electricity.

The statement came amid a dispute over Russian oil supplies via the Druzhba pipeline: supplies to Slovakia and Hungary were interrupted, and Bratislava and Budapest accuse Ukraine of delaying the resumption of transit.

Reuters previously reported that Hungary and Slovakia are among the few EU countries that continue to depend on oil from the Druzhba pipeline. Against the backdrop of a supply stop, both countries used strategic reserves while simultaneously discussing retaliatory measures against Ukraine.

Ukrainian authorities previously stated that transit via Druzhba was interrupted due to infrastructure damage after a Russian strike (at the end of January).