EU country’s president issues threat to Ukraine

Slovakia’s Peter Pellegrini has urged Kiev to stop its blockade of Russian oil supplies 

Slovakia could take retaliatory measures against Ukraine if Kiev continues to stop Russian oil transiting via the Druzhba pipeline, President Peter Pellegrini has warned.

Kiev stopped the flow of crude through the Druzhba pipeline to its energy-dependent neighbors – Hungary and Slovakia – last week, citing sanctions against Russia’s second-largest oil company Lukoil, thus depriving the two EU member states of oil that meets up to 40% of their needs.

Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, Pellegrini described Kiev’s actions as a “very unpleasant interference in our good relations.”

“I firmly believe that Ukraine will be able to put this in order as soon as possible, because Slovakia, as a sovereign state, will eventually have to take some kind of countermeasures,” he said without specifying the nature of a possible response.

He added, however, that this “would not benefit either Ukraine or its citizens.”

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Pelligrini recalled that Slovakia had helped Ukraine with the reverse flow of gas and has also been sending electricity to the country. Slovakian Defense Minister Robert Kalinak echoed the president’s criticism and warned that Kiev was “risking a lot” with its “irresponsible” actions.

While the EU banned seaborne oil imports from Russia in December 2022, pipeline deliveries have received exemptions from the embargo to allow land-locked EU countries, including Hungary, Slovakia and the Czech Republic, to secure stable oil supplies.

Lukoil provides some 50% of the oil shipped via the southern branch of Druzhba, which is one of the world’s longest pipeline networks. Other suppliers include Russian state-owned Tatneft, Gazprom Neft, the private company Russneft, and several small producers.

On Tuesday, Hungary also pledged to punish Kiev for its blockade of oil deliveries from Russia, with Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto saying Budapest would block €6.5 billion ($7 billion) in funds that the EU has earmarked for Ukraine until Kiev resumes transit.

Hungary’s foreign minister said his country supplied 42% of Ukraine’s electricity in June.