Slovakia has officially suspended emergency electricity assistance intended to stabilize Ukraine's energy grid.
Operative Information Center-OMM reports that Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico announced the decision in a video message shared on his social media accounts.
The head of government stated that starting Monday, Bratislava will no longer fulfill requests from the Ukrainian side for electricity supplies, even if formal appeals are made. Robert Fico noted that relevant instructions have already been issued to the country's Ministry of Finance and the leadership of the state-owned Slovak electricity transmission system operator, SEPS.
The primary factors leading to this decision include:
- The suspension of oil transportation through the "Druzhba" pipeline passing through Ukrainian territory;
- Official Kyiv's failure to respond to warnings regarding the restoration of oil transit;
- The necessity to protect Slovakia's domestic energy security.
Oil transit from Russia to Slovakia via Ukraine has been halted since February 13. The Prime Minister had previously warned that if Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy did not restore the oil supply, Slovakia would terminate its electricity aid as a retaliatory measure.
The Druzhba pipeline is one of the world's longest oil pipeline networks, carrying crude oil from Russia to several points in Central and Eastern Europe. Slovakia, which remains heavily dependent on these energy imports for its refining industry, views the transit disruption as a significant threat to its national economy. This development marks a further tightening of energy relations in the region as European nations navigate complex supply dynamics amidst ongoing geopolitical tensions.
