Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called on Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico to stop buying Russian oil during their meeting on Friday in Zakarpattia, Ukraine. This appeal aligns with recent White House efforts urging European countries to cut off one of Russia’s main revenue sources fueling its war against Ukraine.
Zelensky told Fico that Kyiv is willing to supply Slovakia with gas and oil, but only if it is not Russian. “We are at war — that’s the bottom line,” Zelensky said, emphasizing Europe’s need for energy independence. In a post on X, Zelensky declared that “Russian oil, just like Russian gas, has no future.”
This push follows remarks from former U.S. President Donald Trump, who also urged European leaders to reduce reliance on Russian energy to pressure President Vladimir Putin toward peace negotiations. Trump has considered imposing secondary sanctions on countries buying Russian oil but has yet to act.
A White House official noted that during a recent “Coalition of the Willing” meeting with European leaders including French President Emmanuel Macron, Trump emphasized the importance of ending purchases of Russian oil, which generated $1.3 billion in revenue for Moscow from the EU in one year.
Zelensky also briefed Fico on his recent discussions with Trump and the ongoing work with coalition leaders aimed at bringing peace and strengthening Ukraine’s security and the broader European security architecture. “Slovakia will not stand aside,” Zelensky affirmed.
Slovakia, along with Hungary, remains one of the EU’s largest buyers of Russian oil. Both countries received exemptions from the EU’s 2022 embargo on Russian crude due to their energy dependence. In contrast, countries like France, Belgium, and Spain — despite their firm opposition to Moscow — accounted for about 85% of Russian LNG imports in 2024, according to the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA).
The Czech Republic, Slovakia’s neighbor, fully cut off Russian oil earlier this year as a protest against the Kremlin’s war.
Notably, Slovakia maintains closer ties with Russia than many other European nations. Prime Minister Fico recently attended China’s military parade alongside Putin, sparking concerns among Western countries wary of Russian and Chinese expansionism. During the parade, Fico held an hour-long meeting with Putin to discuss the Ukraine conflict, which he briefed Zelensky on Friday.
Fico stated that Putin updated him on the progress of talks with Trump in Alaska and the prospects for ending the war.
