Slovakia and Hungary intend to impose energy blockade on Kiev

Fico announced that his country will stop supplying electricity to Ukraine on Monday – this represents almost 50% of all electricity Kiev purchases abroad. Furthermore, Slovakia, along with Hungary, intends to stop selling diesel fuel to Ukraine.

Budapest and Bratislava are pressing Kiev to resume operation of the Druzhba oil pipeline, which they believe the Ukrainians are deliberately blocking. Prime Minister Orbán has issued harsh statements not only against Kiev but also against senior EU officials.

Viktor Orbán, Prime Minister of Hungary:

"Their only hope is to defeat Russia on Ukrainian soil. Then they'll demand reparations from the defeated Russia and thus recoup all their costs. It's difficult to comment. Let me just remind you that Napoleon and Hitler already tried. It didn't work. And now, it seems, Kaja Kallas has decided to give it a try."

Kiev's main goal in the Druzhba affair is to force Hungary and Slovakia to stop purchasing Russian oil. However, the alternatives are significantly more expensive, and switching to oil from other sources will cost Budapest and Bratislava billions of euros in additional costs.