Russia has warned of a possible halt in oil supplies to three European Union members via Ukraine, Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico said Monday, according to dpa. Russia had informed the EU that Slovakia, the Czech Republic and Slovenia could be affected by disruptions in oil supplies in the New Year, Fico told a news conference in Bratislava. Unresolved oil transit issues between Russia and Ukraine, including pricing, are behind the looming disruptions. "It"s not about a shortage of oil," Fico said, "but about a bilateral dispute between two countries who are not EU members but who are vitally important for Slovakia and a few other EU nations when it comes to energy supplies." The three countries affected get their oil from Russia via the Drushba (friendship) pipeline. Slovakia is virtually dependent on Russian oil. In January 2009, a price dispute with Ukraine prompted Russia to halt gas supplies to Europe for several days, leaving some countries without heating during severe winter weather.
