Slovakia has halted emergency electricity supplies to Ukraine amid an escalating dispute over the suspension of Russian oil deliveries through the Druzhba pipeline. Prime Minister Robert Fico announced this yesterday and said that the move would remain in place until Kyiv restores oil transit to Slovakia via the Soviet-era Druzhba pipeline, which runs across Ukrainian territory.

The announcement follows a warning he issued to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy over the weekend. He further added that the suspension would be lifted as soon as the transit of oil to Slovakia is restored, warning that Bratislava could take further reciprocal steps if the issue remains unresolved. Fico also indicated that Slovakia would reconsider its previously supportive stance on Ukraine’s bid for European Union membership.

The dispute centres on the Druzhba pipeline, which was shut down in late January after what Ukraine described as a Russian drone strike damaged infrastructure along the route. While Kyiv has said repair work is ongoing and that it is working to restore flows as quickly as possible, Slovakia and neighbouring Hungary have blamed Ukraine for the prolonged disruption.