Slovak Prime Minister: If Ukraine does not resume oil transit through Slovakia, electricity supply to Ukraine will be halted.

On February 21st local time, Slovak Prime Minister Fico announced on social media that if Ukraine does not resume transit operations of the “Friendship” oil pipeline by the 23rd, Slovakia will cease emergency electricity supplies to Ukraine. Fico accused Ukraine of previously stopping natural gas transit, causing an annual loss of 500 million euros, and now halting oil transit, which has resulted in greater losses and logistical difficulties for Slovakia. Fico stated that, given Ukrainian President Zelensky’s behavior towards Slovakia—deemed unacceptable and akin to treating Slovakia as an enemy—Slovakia believes that refusing Ukraine access to the 90 billion euro EU military loan is “completely correct.” The “Friendship” oil pipeline is a large pipeline system transporting crude oil from Russia to Central and Eastern Europe, starting in the Samara region of southwestern Russia. Its southern route passes through Ukraine to the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Hungary. In late January this year, the Ukrainian section of the “Friendship” pipeline experienced a disruption. Ukraine claimed the supply interruption was caused by Russian attacks on pipeline facilities within Ukraine. Hungary subsequently accused Ukraine of cutting off the pipeline’s power supply, and Slovakia also accused Ukraine of deliberately delaying the pipeline restart for political reasons. (CCTV News)