Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico stated on February 21 that if oil supplies through the Druzhba pipeline are not restored, he will initiate the suspension of emergency energy support for Ukraine.
This is reported by Kyiv24
Fico’s Threats Regarding Energy Supplies and Bratislava’s Position
In his address on social media, Fico announced that if oil supplies to Slovakia are not restored by Monday, he will appeal to the state-owned company SEPS to suspend emergency electricity supplies to Ukraine. The Prime Minister also expressed dissatisfaction with the actions of the Ukrainian authorities, particularly President Volodymyr Zelensky. According to him, the Ukrainian president “refuses to understand Bratislava’s peacekeeping approach” and acts “maliciously” towards Slovakia.
“First, he halted gas supplies to Slovakia, causing us losses of 500 million euros per year. Now he has stopped oil supplies, resulting in further losses and logistical difficulties for us.”
According to Fico, in January, Ukraine requested emergency assistance to stabilize its energy system more frequently than throughout the entire previous year. Additionally, he reminded that Slovakia blocked a 90 billion euro EU loan for Ukraine due to what he claims is the unacceptable behavior of the Ukrainian president towards Slovakia.
Reasons for Disruptions in Pipeline Operations and Expert Reactions
Robert Fico has repeatedly stated that Ukraine is deliberately delaying the restoration of the Druzhba pipeline to exert pressure on European partners, particularly Hungary, regarding support for Ukraine’s EU membership. He called this “political blackmail” and accused Kyiv of using energy as a tool of influence.
At the same time, Kyiv insists that the oil transit was halted due to a Russian drone attack that occurred on January 27, 2026. According to Mykhailo Gonchar, president of the Global Strategy Center “Strategy XXI,” the strike on the linear production dispatch station of Ukrtransnafta in Brody caused a massive fire, with crude oil burning in a 75,000 cubic meter tank for ten days. This led to a complete shutdown of the station and the cessation of Russian oil transit through Ukraine to European countries.