What happened
NEC "Ukrenergo" received an official letter from the Slovak system operator SEPS notifying it of the unilateral termination of the agreement on mutual emergency assistance. The contract will cease to be in effect from May this year, the Ukrainian company’s press service reported.
"The reasons why our colleagues are canceling the agreement were left unexplained by SEPS management. For its part, NEC 'Ukrenergo' has never committed any breaches of the contractual terms with SEPS, acting in the spirit of good neighborliness and with respect for the norms of European legislation."
— NEC «Ukrenergo», press service
Context and motives
The SEPS decision should be seen not only as a technical step. On 23 February, Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico announced the cessation of emergency electricity supplies to Ukraine against the backdrop of contentious issues over the transit of Russian oil via the southern branch of the Druzhba pipeline following the strike on Brody on 27 January 2026. The Slovak government approved Fico’s request to terminate the contract on 4 March.
This gives grounds to interpret SEPS’s move as an element of political pressure or diplomatic maneuvering, rather than merely a technical operation. Analysts and energy experts note that such decisions are often used as leverage within a broader set of negotiating instruments.
Consequences for Ukraine — today and tomorrow
Short-term — supply security for household consumers will not be directly affected: Ukrenergo says emergency assistance was used rarely, and the last delivery under this agreement was in January 2026. Also, commercial electricity trade between the countries is not affected — imports occur through day-ahead and long-term auctions.
"The import of electricity from Slovakia to Ukraine was and is carried out without any restrictions, in accordance with the results of day-ahead and long-term auctions for the allocation of cross-border transmission capacity."
— NEC «Ukrenergo», press service
Medium- and long-term — losing even this rare mechanism of mutual assistance undermines an element of trust within the regional grid. That means Ukraine will need to strengthen internal reserves, accelerate the diversification of energy partnerships, and increase preparedness for scenarios in which cross-border technical support may be politicized.
What to do next
First and foremost — monitor the diplomatic track: from political statements to official operator decisions. In parallel, Ukrenergo and the government must confirm technical reserves and emergency restoration mechanisms, and work with European institutions (ENTSO‑E, the European Commission) to secure guarantees for cross-border cooperation.
This is a signal to partners: declarations of support must be transformed into contractual mechanisms that can withstand political pressure and hybrid risks. Ukraine is already demonstrating resilience — but restoring and strengthening trust will require time and clear international guarantees.
The ball is now in the partners’ court: will they turn political messages into stable, formalized instruments of cooperation?
