Hungary and Slovakia have threatened to halt electricity and natural gas supplies to Ukraine after Kyiv blocked Russian oil transit via the Druzhba pipeline, escalating a dispute that highlights Ukraine’s critical energy dependence on its western neighbours.
The standoff began when Ukraine stopped the flow of Russian crude to the two landlocked EU members in late January, citing infrastructure damage. Budapest and Bratislava reject this explanation, calling the move “political blackmail” and retaliation for their opposition to Ukrainian EU membership and military aid. In response, they suspended diesel deliveries and warned of broader energy cuts.
Ukraine’s reliance on Hungarian and Slovak energy is substantial, particularly for electricity and gas. Data from consultancy ExPro shows that in recent months, Hungary has supplied up to 50% of Ukraine’s electricity, with Slovakia providing up to 30%. Slovakia’s nuclear power—fuelled by Russian-supplied nuclear fuel under a contract extending to 2026—makes it a key electricity exporter. For natural gas, Hungary and Slovakia covered over 65% of Ukraine’s imports last year.
However, experts note that Hungary and Slovakia cannot unilaterally cut electricity supplies. Both nations and Ukraine operate within the same synchronized European grid (ENTSO-E) and are bound by EU regulations that prohibit halting cross-border power flows. Any curtailment would require coordinated political action. The legal barrier is lower for natural gas, as EU rules do not explicitly forbid stopping exports to non-member states like Ukraine.
The dispute unfolds amid deep political rifts. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and Slovak leader Robert Fico have consistently opposed further EU integration for Ukraine and refused military assistance, drawing sharp criticism from Kyiv. Their resistance to EU plans to use frozen Russian assets also fuels tensions.
For Ukraine, a stable energy supply is a matter of national security. Its power grid is already severely degraded by repeated Russian missile and drone attacks, which target infrastructure critical for military production and civilian resilience. The potential loss of half its electricity imports would exacerbate humanitarian suffering and strain defense operations.
The conflict underscores how energy politics intersect with the wider war in Ukraine, testing EU solidarity and exposing vulnerabilities in Kyiv’s supply chains. While immediate unilateral cuts to electricity are unlikely, the threat of gas disruption remains a potent political tool. Resolving the pipeline issue is now tied to Ukraine’s broader energy security and its relations with key EU partners.
