The governments in Budapest and Bratislava have increased pressure on Kyiv, linking the dispute over oil transit via the 'Friendship' pipeline with the possibility of restricting some energy supplies to Ukraine. Ukraine's Ministry of Foreign Affairs firmly rejected these demands, calling them unacceptable blackmail that fits into the aggressor's strategy of destabilizing the region.

Monday Ultimatum

Robert Fico and Viktor Orbán demand the resumption of oil transit under threat of completely cutting off Ukraine from electricity and gas supplies.

Blocking EU Billions

Hungary and Slovakia announced they would veto a financial aid package worth 90 billion euros for war-torn Ukraine.

Dispute Over Technical Condition

Ukraine claims the Friendship pipeline is damaged after drone attacks, while Slovakia considers the failure a political pretext.

Fuel Supply Halt

Hungary has already restricted diesel exports, which are crucial for the logistics of Ukrainian armed forces.

The conflict over the transit of Russian oil via the 'Friendship' pipeline has entered a critical phase, as Hungary and Slovakia have officially announced the suspension of energy supplies crucial for Ukraine. Since the end of January 2026, the southern branch of the pipeline has been non-operational due to infrastructure damage resulting from Russian attacks. While Kyiv declares intensive repair works are underway, Bratislava and Budapest maintain that repairs have already been completed and the blockade is purely political. Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico warned that if oil does not flow by Monday, he will order the state operator SEPS to halt emergency electricity supplies. Hungary, alongside sharp threats of retaliation, has already halted diesel fuel supplies, and Slovakia announced a similar step. Simultaneously, Hungary signaled readiness to block EU financial decisions regarding support for Ukraine, while Slovakia's position on this matter was reported as less clear-cut or conditional. Kyiv considers these steps a provocation targeting national security during a period of extremely low temperatures. Ukraine's Ministry of Foreign Affairs emphasized that the ultimatum should be directed at the Kremlin, which is the actual perpetrator of the damage to the transmission infrastructure. The 'Friendship' pipeline, built in the 1960s, is one of the largest oil pipeline networks in the world. Although most EU countries abandoned Russian raw materials after the 2022 invasion, Hungary and Slovakia negotiated temporary exemptions from the embargo due to a lack of alternative supply routes for their refineries. The situation is dynamic, as Ukraine is currently considering activating the EU early warning mechanism in the energy sector. Experts indicate that an escalation of the dispute could lead to serious operational paralysis for the Ukrainian army and civilian transport, which are heavily dependent on fuel imports from the western direction. At the same time, the stance of Fico and Orbán deepens these countries' isolation within the EU forum regarding policy towards Russia. „These threats are irresponsible and threaten the energy security of the entire region. The ultimatum should be set for the Kremlin, not for Kyiv.” — Andrij Sybiha

Mentioned People

  • Robert Fico — Prime Minister of Slovakia, who issued an ultimatum to Ukraine regarding electricity supplies.
  • Viktor Orbán — Prime Minister of Hungary, initiator of the blockade of fuel supplies and EU aid for Kyiv.
  • Andrij Sybiha — Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, who condemned the energy blackmail by neighbors.