BRATISLAVA, Feb. 23 (Xinhua) -- Slovakia and Hungary on Monday took what they described as "reciprocal" countermeasures against Ukraine following disruptions to oil deliveries through the Druzhba pipeline, escalating tensions over energy security and prompting Hungary to block new European Union (EU) sanctions on Russia.
Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico asked the state-run Slovak Electricity Transmission System to cut emergency electricity supplies to Ukraine, according to the News Agency of the Slovak Republic.
Fico said the measure would be lifted immediately if oil transit to Slovakia resumes. "Otherwise, we will take further reciprocal measures," he added.
Oil supplies through the Druzhba pipeline to Slovakia and Hungary were suspended following an attack on Jan. 27, Ukrainian officials said, blaming Russia for the pipeline damage. Slovakia later declared an oil emergency and claimed that Ukraine was deliberately stopping oil supplies through the Druzhba pipeline.
Hungary also responded on Monday by blocking the EU's 20th sanctions package against Russia and a planned 90-billion-euro (106-billion-U.S. dollar) military loan to Ukraine, citing Kyiv's suspension of crude oil deliveries, according to Peter Szijjarto, Hungary's minister of foreign affairs and trade.
"Since Ukraine is jeopardizing Hungary's energy security, we are not willing to contribute to any decision-making in Brussels that benefits Ukraine," he said, adding that Hungary will maintain its position until crude oil deliveries to Hungary and Slovakia are fully restored.
Both Slovakia and Hungary have announced suspension of diesel deliveries to Ukraine. Leaders of the two EU member countries also accused Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky of political blackmail and interfering in the election campaign in Hungary.
Addressing the opening of the parliament's spring session, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has accused Ukraine of attempting to exert pressure on Hungary by halting oil transit. He said that Budapest will not yield and remains committed to defending its national interests.
On Feb. 21, Fico accused Zelensky of acting maliciously towards Slovakia because Slovakia does not "support the war."
In response to the accusations, Ukraine's foreign ministry said on Feb. 21 that the country was in constant contact with representatives of the European Commission regarding the damage to Ukrainian energy infrastructure. It said it had also provided information about the consequences of these Russian attacks on the Druzhba oil pipeline infrastructure to the governments of Hungary and Slovakia.
The ministry's statement also said that security and stabilization repair work continued while proposing alternative ways to resolve the issue of supplying non-Russian oil to these countries.
Slovak President Peter Pellegrini has expressed his belief that diplomatic negotiations on energy supplies will begin as soon as possible so that oil supplies to Slovakia and electricity supplies to Ukraine can resume without delay, according to the President's Office on Monday. ■
