The pipeline was halted in late January following what Kyiv described as a Russian drone strike on key infrastructure, leaving Slovakia and Hungary scrambling to secure supplies.

In a post on X, Fico issued a two-day ultimatum demanding the restoration of pipeline flows by Monday. He warned that Slovakia may instruct its state-owned grid operator, SEPS, to suspend emergency power deliveries to Ukraine, which accounted for about 18% of Ukraine’s electricity imports last month. Fico argued that the disruption was costing Slovakia "500 million euros annually” and described Kyiv’s handling of the situation as "unacceptable behavior.”

Ukraine rejected the claims. The Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Bratislava and Budapest were "playing into the hands of the aggressor [Russia]” by pressuring Ukraine over a transit halt caused by wartime attacks. The ministry said it had already provided a technical assessment of the damage and that repair work was underway, adding that Ukraine had proposed alternative options for supplying non-Russian oil to both Slovakia and Hungary.

Tensions increased further on Friday when Viktor Orbán threatened to veto the European Union’s proposed 90-billion-euro financial package for Ukraine, saying Hungary would block approval "as long as Ukraine blocks the Druzhba pipeline.” Diplomats warn the dispute underscores Europe’s vulnerability to single-route energy corridors at a time of heightened wartime instability.