Fico threatens to leave Ukraine in dark: Could this be blackmail, and how is Orbán involved
Photo: Robert Fico (Getty Images)
Slovakia is threatening to halt electricity supplies to Ukraine over the suspension of the Druzhba oil pipeline. However, the real reason lies elsewhere, according to Aktuality and a comment by energy expert Volodymyr Omelchenko.
Read also: Ukraine targets Druzhba pipeline: How attacks hit Russia and why Orbán is worried
The corresponding statement was made by Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico.
"However, if President Zelenskyy feels that these electricity supplies are of no value, that he doesn't need them, we may decide to withdraw from this cooperation in terms of electricity supplies," he said.
Fico lacks the authority
In a comment to RBC-Ukraine, Omelchenko stressed that Fico does not have the authority to take such a step.
"Right now, a kind of hybrid war is underway — one that Russia has unleashed in order to save Orbán (the Prime Minister of Hungary, – ed.). Orbán currently has low ratings, his party is trailing the opposition, and therefore it is extremely important for Putin to keep Orbán in his position,” he said.
Russia’s Druzhba operation
The expert explained that, for this reason, the Russian leader carried out an operation — Russia attacked the infrastructure of the Druzhba oil pipeline, causing transit to Hungary and Slovakia to halt.
After that, Orbán and Fico claimed that Russia was not to blame, but Ukraine, alleging that Kyiv supposedly wants to undermine the energy security of these countries.
"Thus, this is a Russian hybrid special operation, which aims, first, to keep Orbán in office, and second, to create major difficulties for electricity imports to Ukraine, because this is a critical import that Russia cannot break through its strikes," Omelchenko noted.
He emphasized that neither Hungary nor Slovakia can do anything on its own. The governments have no authority, because they must comply with European Union rules.
Slovakia’s threats are not new
In the winter of 2025, Slovakia had already issued similar threats regarding electricity imports to Ukraine. At the time, then-Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal explained that the Slovak government has no authority in this matter, since decisions about electricity supply in Ukraine are made not by the local operator, but by the European Network of Transmission System Operators for Electricity (ENTSO-E).
Problems with the Druzhba pipeline
Oil transit through the Druzhba pipeline via Ukraine was halted in January due to massive Russian strikes. Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha noted that the transit problems began because of Russian attacks on the pipeline.
According to Sybiha, Budapest did not publicly respond to this strike, although earlier, when the pipeline was damaged as a result of Ukrainian operations, Hungarian officials immediately began threatening Kyiv.
On Monday, February 16, Hungary and Slovakia turned to Croatia for assistance with oil imports due to problems with the Druzhba pipeline.
In response, Croatia’s Minister of Economy, Ante Šušnjar, stated that the country is ready to help, but only within the framework of EU law and without violating US sanctions.
