Ukraine’s EU partners unhappy as Hungary and Slovakia criticise Zelenskyy over Russian oil transit block

Slovakia threatens power cut over oil

Slovakia’s Prime Minister Robert Fico has warned that Bratislava could halt emergency electricity supplies to Ukraine if oil deliveries are not restored.

In a post on X, Fico wrote: “IF THE UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT DOES NOT RESUME OIL SUPPLIES TO SLOVAKIA ON MONDAY, ON THAT SAME DAY I WILL ASK THE RELEVANT SLOVAK COMPANIES TO STOP EMERGENCY ELECTRICITY SUPPLIES TO UKRAINE.”

He underlined that Slovakia has stood by Ukraine since the outbreak of war. “Since the beginning of the war, Slovakia has been helping Ukraine.

Around 180,000 Ukrainians are currently on our territory, we provide humanitarian assistance, and we organize joint government meetings. We are doing substantially more for Ukraine than some other countries,” he said.

Fico accused Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky of disregarding Slovakia’s “peace-oriented approach” and acting in ways that harm Slovak interests. “First, he halted gas flows to Slovakia, causing us damages of €500 million per year. Now he has stopped oil flows, causing us further losses and logistical difficulties,” Fico wrote.

Pointing to broader strains over energy in Europe, he added: “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.”

He continued: “Slovakia is a proud and sovereign country, and I am a proud and sovereign Slovak. If oil supplies to Slovakia are not resumed on Monday, I will ask SEPS, the state-owned joint-stock company, to stop emergency electricity supplies to Ukraine.” According to Fico, emergency electricity exports were required twice in January 2026 alone — compared with the whole of 2025.

IF THE UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT DOES NOT RESUME OIL SUPPLIES TO SLOVAKIA ON MONDAY, ON THAT SAME DAY I WILL ASK THE RELEVANT SLOVAK COMPANIES TO STOP EMERGENCY ELECTRICITY SUPPLIES TO UKRAINE.Since the beginning of the war, Slovakia has been helping Ukraine. Around 180,000…

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— Robert Fico 🇸🇰 (@RobertFicoSVK) February 21, 2026

The row comes at a delicate moment, as divisions widen in parts of Central Europe over military and financial backing for Kyiv.

Earlier, Viktor Orban said Hungary would continue to block the European Union’s proposed €90 billion financial package for Ukraine unless Kyiv allows Russian oil to resume flowing through the Druzhba pipeline.

“Announcement! As long as Ukraine blocks the Friendship (Druzhba) oil pipeline, Hungary will block the 90-billion-euro Ukrainian war loan. We cannot be blackmailed!” Orban wrote on his official X account.

Hungary has accused Ukraine of deliberately preventing the transit of Russian crude through the Druzhba pipeline at a time when the country is heading towards key parliamentary elections.

Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjártó said President Zelensky had taken a political decision to block the restart of oil transit, despite the pipeline being technically ready to operate.

Budapest argues that the disruption poses a risk to Hungary’s energy security at a politically sensitive juncture, fuelling concerns about stability ahead of the vote.

Fico also tied the dispute to broader financial support for Ukraine. “Given President Zelensky’s unacceptable behavior toward Slovakia, treating it as a hostile country, I consider it absolutely correct that I refused to involve the Slovak Republic in the latest €90 billion military loan for Ukraine,” he said.

The escalating rhetoric underscores the growing strain between Kyiv and some of its European partners, as questions of energy security and war financing become increasingly contentious across the region.