Slovakia announces stop of emergency electricity supplies to Ukraine. Fico also threatens Kiev with the blocking of EU accession

Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico announced on Monday the suspension of emergency electricity supplies to Ukraine, due to the interruption of the supply of Russian oil through the Drujba pipeline, which crosses Ukrainian territory, reports AFP.

“Considering the seriousness of the situation and the state of oil emergency decreed in Slovakia, we are forced to immediately take this first measure of reciprocity”, says Robert Fico in a video message broadcast on Facebook and also sent to the press.

“This measure will be lifted as soon as oil transit to Slovakia is restored. Otherwise, we will take further reciprocal measures,” he added.

Fico also threatened to reconsider his “constructive positions so far on Ukraine's accession to the EU” if Ukraine “continues to harm” his interests.

The Slovak prime minister had threatened since Saturday to stop electricity exports to Ukraine if in two days Kiev does not take measures to resume Russian oil shipments to Slovakia through the Drujba pipeline.

Hungary and Slovakia, the only EU countries whose refineries still use Russian oil transported through the Drujba pipeline, are scrambling to secure their crude supplies after supplies were halted on January 27 following what Ukraine said was a Russian drone attack that damaged the Drujba pipeline's infrastructure. According to the Ukrainian authorities, this pipeline, which transits its territory before delivering oil to Slovakia and Hungary, was seriously damaged by Russian strikes in Brodî, in the Lviv region.

Ukraine has proposed alternative transit routes to deliver oil to Europe while pipelines are repaired. In a document analyzed by the Reuters agency, the Ukrainian mission to the EU proposed deliveries through the country's oil transportation system or via a maritime route, including the Odesa-Brodî pipeline. “Ukraine reiterates its continued readiness to ensure the transportation of oil within the available legal framework,” the document said.

But Fico, citing reports from the Slovak secret services, claimed that the repair work had already been completed, accusing the Ukrainian government of not resuming deliveries in order to exert “blackmail” on Hungary, which is hostile to Ukraine's accession to the European Union.

In retaliation, Slovakia and Hungary announced last week the stoppage of diesel exports to Ukraine.

Slovakia is also a major European supplier of electricity to Ukraine, which needs power after intense Russian attacks brought its power grid to the brink of collapse. Together, Hungary and Slovakia provide about half of Europe's emergency electricity exports to Ukraine.

“If oil deliveries to Slovakia are not resumed on Monday, I will ask the state company SEPS to stop the electricity supply to Ukraine,” Robert Fico warned in a post on X on Saturday.

And Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban made a similar threat a few days before.

Orban blocks pro-Ukraine EU decisions

Meanwhile, the European Union could not adopt new sanctions against Russia on Monday, due to a veto from Hungary, the head of EU foreign policy, Kaja Kallas, confirmed.

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has vetoed the 20th European sanctions package against Russia since the February 24, 2022 invasion of Ukraine, citing the Drujba oil pipeline situation.

Orban also announced his intention to block, for the same reasons, the adoption of a 90 billion euro European loan offered to Ukraine.