rob cameron
Prague correspondent

As European leaders gather in Kiev, Slovakia’s Prime Minister Roberto Fico has ordered Ukraine’s state-run electricity company to reject requests for emergency aid from Ukraine as the dispute over Russian oil supplies intensifies.

Slovakia and Hungary, two of the EU’s most pro-Russian countries, have accused Ukraine of deliberately suppressing Russian oil shipments through the Soviet-era Druzhva pipeline, which sends Russian crude through Ukraine to Central Europe.

Kiev said the pipeline was damaged in a Russian drone attack in January and was not yet ready to resume supplies. Bratislava and Budapest dispute this and accuse the Ukrainians of extortion.

Fico said in a video message that he took the decision after being informed by President Zelenskiy that the issue could not be discussed until Wednesday at the earliest.

“The possible interruption of emergency power supplies from Slovakia has no impact on the situation of the unified electricity system in Ukraine,” Ukrenergo said.

Ukraine’s energy monopoly Ukrenergo said it last requested emergency supplies from Slovakia more than a month ago, and in small quantities.

Landlocked Slovakia and Hungary are the only EU countries still importing Russian crude oil after receiving a temporary exemption from the EU’s embargo.

However, other landlocked countries, such as the Czech Republic, point to success in ending their dependence on Russia.