For several weeks, Russian oil has stopped flowing to Slovakia via Ukraine. The cause is damage to the Druzhba pipeline. Now, Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico has threatened Kiev with cutting off Ukraine’s electricity supply if Russian oil supplies via Ukraine are not resumed by Monday. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has also threatened similar measures.
Hungary and Slovakia provide about half of Europe’s emergency electricity supplies to Ukraine, which is dependent on these supplies due to massive Russian attacks on its infrastructure. Ukraine condemns threats by Hungary and Slovakia
Ukraine has strongly condemned threats by Hungary and Slovakia in a dispute over energy supplies. Kiev accused the two EU member states of blackmail and provocation. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha called the threat to cut off Ukraine’s electricity supplies after Russian attacks on energy infrastructure irresponsible. “This threatens the energy security of the entire Region,” Sybiha wrote on the X platform.
He added that the governments in Budapest and Bratislava should address their complaints to the Kremlin, not Kiev. The Druzhba oil pipeline has been damaged by Russian attacks and work to repair it is continuing despite the risk of missile attacks, the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry said in a statement. Kiev criticized the fact that Bratislava and Budapest intend to cut off electricity, heating and gas to Ukrainians precisely during the period of extreme frost.
Fico: Zelensky has bad intentions
At a press conference in Bratislava, Fico used confrontational language towards neighboring Ukraine. There is no clear culprit for the damage to the pipelines, the Slovak prime minister said. According to Fico, Ukraine accuses the Russians of damaging the pipelines during an attack, while the Russians accuse Ukraine of deliberately disrupting the flow of oil through the pipeline.
“Now I would have to guess, but this is not the first time that President Zelensky has made political decisions that harm Slovakia,” Fico added. According to him, this had happened before, when the transit of gas through Ukrainian territory to Slovakia was interrupted.
Fico insists that the problems with the oil pipeline are Ukraine’s revenge for the policy pursued by Slovakia and Hungary towards Ukraine.
Slovakia and Hungary are among the countries that have spoken out in the EU critically about aid for Ukraine and its possible EU membership. Slovakia is not participating in the 90 billion euro aid package. Slovakia and Hungary continue to buy crude oil from Russia. (DW)