Slovakia Halts Electricity Exports to Ukraine After Russian Gas Transit Suspension

Slovakia initiated a retaliatory energy measure by halting electricity exports to Ukraine, a direct consequence of the ongoing suspension of Russian natural gas transit via the Druzhba pipeline. Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico publicly announced the action on February 23, 2026, referencing prior warnings regarding the situation. Prime Minister Fico stated in a video message that the state operator of the SEPS transmission system was directed to cease emergency electricity shipments to Ukraine on the same day, contingent upon the non-resumption of Russian gas supplies by Monday, February 23.

Prime Minister Fico indicated that a telephone request to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for discussions was met with a deferral until after February 25. The Slovak government cited a declared state of emergency due to the extraordinary gas situation as the impetus for this responsive measure. Fico assessed that the volume of emergency electricity exported in January 2026 to stabilize Ukraine's energy system was double the total amount exported throughout all of 2025, highlighting a substantial recent increase in energy reliance or strain. Electricity imports from Slovakia represented approximately 18% of Ukraine's total import structure in February 2026.

The context for this dispute stems from a Russian drone strike on Ukrainian infrastructure on January 27, 2026, which Ukrainian authorities claim damaged the Druzhba pipeline, consequently halting Russian oil deliveries to Slovakia and Hungary. In response to the gas situation, Slovakia had already ceased exporting its surplus gas. Furthermore, both Hungary and Slovakia had previously stopped exporting diesel fuel to Ukraine.

Prime Minister Fico introduced a political dimension to the energy standoff, declaring that Bratislava would re-evaluate its support for Ukraine's potential European Union membership if Kyiv continued to undermine Slovakia's strategic energy interests. This escalating bilateral tension is further complicated by Hungary's concurrent threat to veto the European Union's twelfth sanctions package against Russia, demanding the resumption of supplies under the 'Friendship' agreement. The Druzhba pipeline, operational since 1964, is one of the world's most extensive oil pipeline networks, transporting oil over 4,000 kilometers from Russia into Central Europe.

Kyiv, however, has characterized the actions by Budapest and Bratislava as 'ultimatums and blackmail,' asserting that the disruption resulted from Russian aggression and strikes on the pipeline infrastructure, not from deliberate interference by Ukraine. The broader geopolitical implications are significant, as Hungary's stance, which includes threatening to block a proposed €90 billion EU loan for Ukraine, risks undermining European unity at a critical juncture. The situation underscores a tactical infrastructure conflict intersecting with high-stakes EU veto politics, compelling a re-evaluation of energy security across Central Europe.