While Hungary and Slovakia are being cast as thorns in Kiev’s side, they are also key energy suppliers to Ukraine
Hungary and Slovakia have warned they could cut off electricity and other energy supplies to Ukraine in response to Kiev halting the transit of Russian oil through the Druzhba pipeline.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban and Slovak leader Robert Fico have slammed the Ukrainian blockade as “political blackmail.”
On Wednesday, the two EU countries halted diesel supplies to Kiev, stating shipments will not resume until it restores Russian crude transit.
Why are Slovakia and Hungary warning Ukraine?
Ukraine has blocked the transit of Russian oil to Slovakia and Hungary via the Druzhba pipeline since late January. Kiev claims Russia damaged the infrastructure; Moscow denies this and has accused Ukraine of using energy to blackmail key partners.
Budapest and Bratislava also insist the pipeline is in working order and have accused Kiev of seeking revenge for the two countries’ opposition to possible Ukrainian membership of the EU, the bloc’s ongoing cash lifeline, and Slovakia’s refusal to provide military aid to Kiev. Both landlocked nations say they cannot fully meet their energy needs without Russian crude.
How dependent is Ukraine on energy supplies from Hungary and Slovakia?
While Ukraine’s dependence on diesel fuel from the two EU countries is moderate, standing at 11% of total imports last month, Kiev is far more reliant on the two nations for electricity and natural gas.
According to Ukrainian consultancy ExPro, so far this month Hungary has supplied 50% of Ukraine’s electricity and Slovakia 18%. Throughout 2025, Hungary consistently delivered the largest share, ranging from 35% to 50% of monthly supply. Slovakia’s share peaked at 30% last February.
In November, Vitaly Zaychenko, the head of grid operator Ukrenergo, described Slovakia as “one of the best markets in Europe for purchasing electricity,” noting the country’s abundant nuclear generation.
Slovakia’s nuclear plants were built during the Czechoslovak era using Soviet reactor designs, and Russia’s Rosatom has been the exclusive fuel supplier for all operational reactors. A contract extension signed in 2019 ensures fuel supply through 2026, with a possible extension to 2030.
Ukraine’s reliance on natural gas is just as pronounced. On Wednesday, Budapest threatened to cut off supplies of natural gas. Last year, gas through Hungary covered 45.5% of Ukraine’s gas needs, while Slovakia delivered 20.5%, according to ExPro data. Poland was another major supplier.
Can Hungary and Slovakia unplug Ukraine?
Despite the threats to cut electricity, Hungary and Slovakia cannot do so unilaterally. Ukraine is a party to the Energy Community Treaty, and its grid is integrated into ENTSO-E, the network of Europe’s electricity grid operators. As members of the same synchronized grid, they are bound by EU regulations that explicitly prevent unilaterally halting cross-border power flows.
Experts note, however, that Budapest and Bratislava could apply coordinated political pressure and attempt to limit electricity supplies in response to the pipeline disruption.
The legal situation regarding natural gas is different: EU regulations contain no explicit prohibition on halting gas supplies to a non-member state such as Ukraine.
Why would Ukraine target Hungary and Slovakia?
The energy dispute is unfolding against a backdrop of long-standing friction between the two EU members and Kiev.
Hungarian Prime Minister Orban has long opposed Ukraine’s push to join the EU, warning that admitting Kiev would drag the bloc into direct conflict with Russia. He has also refused to send weapons or approve military aid, calling instead for diplomacy to reach a peace deal between Ukraine and Russia. Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelensky has engaged in a public war of words with Orban, and has used increasingly derogatory language to refer to the Hungarian leader.
Slovak leader Fico has similarly refused military aid to Ukraine and pledged to oppose any seizure of Russian assets frozen by Brussels after the escalation of the conflict in February 2022. In 2024, he survived an assassination attempt by an activist who targeted him for his refusal to follow NATO and EU policy on Ukraine.
How critical is a stable electricity supply for Ukraine?
Ukraine’s energy infrastructure is disintegrating under pressure from Russian attacks, while Kiev’s forces suffer frontline losses and Western air defense systems are eliminated. A stable energy supply remains critical for the country, as its military and defense industry depend on reliable power to sustain operations.
In recent weeks, Russia has intensified drone and missile strikes on Ukraine’s power grid, leading to large-scale power outages.
Moscow says the attacks are aimed at undercutting weapons production and are in retaliation for Ukrainian strikes on Russian civilian infrastructure.
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