Zelensky: If Putin truly wanted to end war, he wouldn’t be inciting our neighbors to impose energy blockade

Zelensky made the remarks during a joint media statement with Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico, according to an Ukrinform correspondent.

“If someone truly wants to end a war, they don’t ask neighboring countries to impose an energy blockade. This shows that he wants to attack our energy sector and understands that we are defending it as best we can and importing energy when possible, in accordance with European Union regulations,” Zelensky said.

He expressed gratitude to all European countries that export energy to Ukraine during times of shortage.

“We are very thankful to the countries, including Slovakia, that help us receive energy during periods of deficit,” the President added.

Zelensky emphasized that the most alarming aspect is Russia’s broader effort to block energy exports to Ukraine.

“This is the problem—we’re not applying enough pressure on Russia to make it consider ending the war. That pressure must be unified, coming from all partners in Europe and the United States,” he stressed.

He also noted that U.S. President Donald Trump “speaks very directly about the need for Europe to stop receiving energy resources from Russia, which profits from them and uses that revenue to wage war against Ukraine.”

As previously reported by Ukrinform, Prime Minister Fico met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Beijing earlier this week to discuss issues related to Ukraine. Fico stated that Slovakia strongly opposes Ukrainian attacks on the Druzhba pipeline and plans to raise the issue during his meeting with President Zelensky.

Bratislava supports Ukraine’s potential membership in the European Union but opposes its accession to NATO, Fico said.

Hungarian expert András Rácz told Ukrinform that Ukraine’s recent strikes on the Druzhba pipeline are part of a broader, intensified campaign targeting Russia’s oil sector, and that supply disruptions to Hungary and Slovakia are merely a side effect.

Photo: Office of the President