Russian invasion The world's response

Ukraine accuses Hungary and Slovakia of blackmail

Ukraine's Foreign Ministry has sharply criticized Hungary and Slovakia in a new statement, Reuters reports.

"Ukraine rejects and condemns the ultimatums and blackmail that Hungary and Slovakia are engaging in regarding the energy supply between our countries. Give the ultimatum to the Kremlin, not to Kyiv."

This comes after Slovak and Hungarian prime ministers Robert Fico and Viktor Orbán threatened to stop supplying Ukraine with emergency electricity if they do not again allow the transport of Russian oil through their country.

Slovakia and Hungary are the only two EU countries that are still largely dependent on Russian oil transported through Ukraine through the Druzhba pipeline, which was built during the Soviet era. 

Slovakia threatens to cut off emergency energy supplies to Ukraine

Slovakia is threatening to cut off emergency energy supplies to Ukraine if the country does not allow Russia to pump oil through Ukraine within two days, Prime Minister Robert Fico said, according to Reuters.

"If oil supplies to Slovakia are not resumed by Monday, I will ask SEPS, the state-owned joint-stock company, to stop emergency electricity supplies to Ukraine," he wrote on X.

Slovakia accounted for 18 percent of Ukraine's electricity imports last month. But since oil supplies via the Soviet-era Druzhba pipeline were stopped on January 27, Slovakia has become increasingly vocal.

The supplies were stopped after Ukraine said a Russian drone had damaged pipeline equipment in western Ukraine.

In a letter seen by Reuters, Ukraine proposes several alternative routes for oil supplies to the EU