Energy crisis deepens as Slovakia demands Druzhba pipeline reopening amid Russian oil tensions
Slovakia has announced it will halt emergency electricity supplies to Ukraine unless Kyiv restores the flow of Russian oil through the Soviet-era Druzhba pipeline.
Prime Minister Robert Fico confirmed the decision on Monday, following a two-day ultimatum issued to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Fico warned that unless oil transit resumes, Slovakia will stop providing support to stabilize Ukraine’s energy grid.
“If the Ukrainian side turns to Slovakia with a request for assistance… such assistance will not be provided,” Fico said in a video statement.
Dispute Over Russian Oil Transit
The row centers on the Druzhba pipeline, which transports Russian crude oil through Ukraine to Central Europe. Supplies were halted after what Kyiv said was a Russian drone strike that damaged infrastructure in late January.
While Ukraine says repairs are ongoing, Slovakia and neighboring Hungary blame Kyiv for the prolonged disruption. Both countries have declared energy emergencies due to reduced oil deliveries.
Fico described the suspension as a “purely political decision” aimed at pressuring Slovakia over its stance on the war in Ukraine.
Ukraine Downplays Impact
Ukraine’s national grid operator Ukrenergo said it had not been formally notified of the electricity halt but insisted the move would not affect the country’s unified power system.
Officials noted that the last emergency electricity request from Slovakia occurred more than a month ago and involved limited volumes.
According to Kyiv-based consultancy ExPro, Slovakia and Hungary together accounted for 68% of Ukraine’s imported electricity this month, though it remains unclear whether emergency supplies were included in that figure.
EU Tensions and Sanctions Stalemate
The dispute has also fueled wider tensions within the European Union. The EU imposed a ban on most Russian oil imports in 2022, but the Druzhba pipeline was temporarily exempted to allow landlocked countries time to secure alternatives.
Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orban, seen as the EU leader most sympathetic to Moscow, has blocked new EU sanctions against Russia and delayed a proposed 90-billion-euro loan to Ukraine. Orban has reportedly tied his support to the reopening of the pipeline.
Fico signaled that Slovakia may reconsider its support for Ukraine’s EU membership bid, warning of “further reciprocal steps” if oil transit is not restored.
He also criticized Ukraine’s earlier decision to halt Russian gas transit after a five-year agreement expired on January 1, 2025, claiming it is costing Slovakia approximately 500 million euros annually.
Growing Energy and Political Pressure
The standoff highlights mounting pressure on Central European countries still dependent on Russian oil, nearly four years after the Kremlin launched its invasion of Ukraine.
With energy supplies entangled in geopolitical disputes, the Slovakia-Ukraine energy crisis risks further complicating regional stability and EU unity.
Source:
Al jazeera