The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry condemned the statements of the governments of Hungary and Slovakia, which earlier threatened to suspend electricity supplies to Ukraine if it does not resume the transit of Russian oil through the "Druzhba" pipeline.
"Such actions in the conditions of massive and targeted Russian shelling of Ukraine's energy infrastructure and Moscow's attempts to leave Ukrainians without electricity, heating and gas in extreme cold are provocative, irresponsible and call into question the energy security of the entire region," the official statement of the foreign ministry states.
The ministry calls on Budapest and Bratislava for constructive interaction and responsible behavior. "Ultimatums should be sent to the Kremlin, not to Kiev," the statement also reads.
Russian oil supplies to Hungary and Slovakia have been cut off since January 27. At that time, Ukrainian authorities reported that a Russian drone attack had damaged the pipeline that carries fuel through Ukrainian territory to Central Europe.
Earlier, Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó said that his country would block a planned €90 billion EU loan for Ukraine until the transit of Russian oil was resumed.
Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico warned in turn that if Kiev did not resume supplies by Monday, he would ask the relevant Slovak companies to stop exporting electricity to Ukraine.