Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico has warned that Slovakia may cut off its emergency electricity supply to Ukraine unless Kyiv resumes pumping Russian oil to the country.
Fico posted on social media platform X on Saturday, stating:
“If the West does not mind that the Nord Stream gas pipeline was blown up, Slovakia cannot accept Slovak-Ukrainian relations as a one-way ticket benefiting only Ukraine.”
The pipeline has been out of service for nearly a month, reportedly due to a Russian drone strike, according to Kyiv. Fico added that the Ukrainian president is ignoring Slovakia’s peace-oriented approach and acting “maliciously” toward the country.
The announcement comes a day after Hungary blocked a €90 billion emergency loan for Ukraine over the damaged pipeline. Both Slovakia and Hungary rely heavily on Russian oil and maintain close ties with Moscow. Fico confirmed that Slovakia will also reject the loan.
In a related development, Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó accused Ukraine of “blackmailing” Hungary by failing to restart oil shipments. Slovakia has become a critical supplier of electricity to Ukraine, helping to fill the gaps caused by extensive damage to Ukraine’s power grid after Russian attacks.
