Bratislava [Slovakia], February 24 (ANI): 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 on Monday.

Fico said 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.

'As of today, if the Ukrainian side turns to Slovakia with a request for assistance in stabilising the Ukrainian energy grid, such assistance will not be provided,' Fico said in a video message posted on X.

https://x.com/RobertFicoSVK/status/2025978844914589719?s=20

He 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.

Ukrainian grid operator Ukrenergo said it had not been officially notified of Slovakia's decision, adding that the move would not affect the stability of Ukraine's unified power system. The operator noted that the last request for emergency assistance from Slovakia was made more than a month ago and involved limited volumes, Al Jazeera reported.

Fico described the halt in oil supplies as a 'purely political decision aimed at blackmailing Slovakia over its international positions on the war in Ukraine.' He also criticised Ukraine's earlier decision to stop Russian gas transit after a five-year agreement expired on January 1, 2025, claiming the move has cost Slovakia around 500 million euros annually.

The European Union imposed a ban on most Russian oil imports in 2022 following Moscow's invasion of Ukraine. However, the Druzhba pipeline was exempted to allow landlocked Central European countries time to secure alternative supplies.

Meanwhile, the EU failed to agree on a fresh sanctions package against Russia ahead of the fourth anniversary of the conflict after Hungary, led by Prime Minister Viktor Orban, blocked the proposal. Hungary has also reportedly linked its support for further EU financial assistance to Ukraine to the reopening of the oil pipeline, Al Jazeera reported.

According to Kyiv-based consultancy ExPro, Hungary and Slovakia accounted for 68 per cent of Ukraine's imported electricity this month, though it remains unclear whether emergency supplies were included in that figure. (ANI)