Slovakia halts electricity supplies to Ukraine

Slovakia is halting emergency electricity supplies to Ukraine in response to the halt in Russian oil transit through the Druzhba pipeline. This was announced by Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico, according to Pravda.

"If Kyiv asks Slovakia for assistance in stabilizing the power grid, such assistance will no longer be provided. The retaliatory measure will be lifted after Ukraine restores oil supplies to Slovakia; otherwise, further sanctions will follow," the newspaper quotes him as saying.

The prime minister said he issued the corresponding order on February 23 at a meeting with the Slovak Finance Minister and the head of the state-owned company SEPS, which supplies electricity to Ukraine.

On February 18, the Slovak government declared a crisis in the country due to an oil shortage. On the same day, Fico announced that oil refining company Slovnaft was ceasing diesel fuel exports to Ukraine and that all output would be diverted to the domestic market.

Hungary, following Slovakia, also announced a halt to diesel fuel supplies to Ukraine in response to Kyiv's blocking of Russian oil transit. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán warned Kyiv that he could soon decide to halt electricity supplies to the country.

As previously reported, oil has not been delivered to Slovakia and Hungary via the Druzhba pipeline since late January. Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó stated that Kyiv is blocking supplies for political reasons, as the pipeline itself is not damaged and there are no physical obstacles to its resumption.