Kharkiv, Ukraine – Slovak authorities on Monday, February 23, halted emergency energy supplies to Ukraine in an escalation of a dispute over the suspension of oil transit through the war-torn country.
Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico announced the move in a Facebook post, declaring that “from today, if Ukraine asks Slovakia for help stabilising its energy network, it will not receive such help.”
Kyiv has allowed the transit of Russian oil across its territory despite four years of full-scale invasion under supply agreement due to expire in 2029. Transit has been suspended since January 27, following damage to the Druzhba oil pipeline by a Russian drone attack.
Bratislava has accused Kyiv of intentionally dragging out repairs to the pipeline, and stated that if oil supplies were not restored by Monday, it would halt energy supplies to the country. Ukrainian authorities contend that they are working to fix the facility, and have proposed alternative transit routes.
Imports of electricity from Slovakia amounted to 3.3 TWh in 2025 – or 19% of Ukraine’s total energy imports last year. The new restrictions come as Ukraine is in the midst of a severe energy crisis after repeated Russian strikes on the country’s power stations.
The Russian bombing campaign forms part of its strategy to try to freeze the country into submission during its coldest winter in 16 years.
Hungarian authorities, who had joined Bratislava in blocking diesel exports to Ukraine on February 18, decided against blocking energy exports to the country due to concerns for the Hungarian minority in Zakarpattia. However, Budapest did choose to veto the EU’s most recent package of sanctions against Russia.
Read more: Hungary, Slovakia halt diesel supplies to Ukraine after oil flows from the country suspended
A suspension of energy imports from Hungary would have had a major impact on Ukraine, as Hungary is the source for 42% of the country’s energy imports.
The impact of Slovakia cutting off emergency supplies to Ukraine has been negligible. Ukrainian national grid operator Ukrenergo went as far as to state that the suspension “will not have any impact on the situation” in the country.
Featured image: Slovakian prime minister Robert Fico meets with Russian president Vladimir Putin, December 2024, via Presidential Executive Office of Russia
