Slovakia
Slovak Foreign Minister Juraj Blanár stated that attacks on the Druzhba oil pipeline threaten fuel supplies to Ukraine. The Slovak plant Slovnaft provides 10% of Ukraine's diesel consumption.
President Zelenskyy stated that Ukraine has always sought partnership with Hungary. Now, the further state of these relations depends exclusively on Hungary itself.
Ukraine successfully consolidates European partners and prevents capitulation at negotiations in Istanbul. The country has achieved significant successes in the development and testing of new models of missile weapons and drones.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban appealed to Donald Trump for help regarding the shelling of the "Druzhba" oil pipeline by Ukrainians. Trump responded that he was "very angry" and advised Orban to talk to Slovakia.
Hungary and Slovakia appealed to the European Commission due to interruptions in Russian oil supplies via the "Druzhba" pipeline. The countries demand security guarantees for supplies, citing EU promises.
Hungary stopped receiving Russian oil via the Druzhba pipeline after the third strike in a short period.
An article by Ihor Harbaruk, Vice President of the "Ukrainian International Institute of Recovery", expert of the NGO "Economic Discussion Club".
Oil supplies to Slovakia via the Druzhba pipeline have been restored after interruptions caused by damage on Russian territory. The Slovak Minister of Economy expects minimal impact on the total volume of supplies for the month.
In a phone conversation, Donald Trump emphasized to Russian President Putin the necessity of a direct meeting with Zelensky. This meeting, by agreement, is to take place by the end of August. Trump believes that the Kremlin leader should be a "realist"
Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico supports Ukraine's accession to the EU, but not to NATO, and believes that without resolving the issue of "territorial changes" it is difficult to achieve peace. He is also skeptical about additional sanctions against Russia and refuses to pay for weapons for Ukraine.
Border guards of the Chop detachment exposed a clergyman of the UOC who tried to illegally smuggle a conscript across the border for $10,000. He hid the man in his own car under his cassocks.
Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico spoke about the "root causes of the war" in Ukraine and called for security guarantees for Russia. He also used talking points from Kremlin rhetoric when commenting on Donald Trump's meeting with Vladimir Putin.
Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico stated that the coming days will show whether EU countries will support the peace process. He also expressed doubt about the effectiveness of the current European strategy to weaken Russia.
Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó stated that Brussels has ceased to be a key factor in world politics, and the negotiations in Alaska demonstrate a split in Europe. He also noted "experiments of external interference" in Central Europe.
A law enforcement officer in Zakarpattia organized a scheme to transport men of conscription age to Slovakia. He was detained while receiving a $5,000 reward.
The average annual salary of a Ukrainian ambassador in 2024 reached UAH 2. 95 million, including compensatory payments. Additional sources of income include property rental, gifts, and dividends from corporate rights.
In Zakarpattia, near the village of Pallo, 19 citizens of Ukraine who were attempting to illegally cross the border into Slovakia were detained. The violators were detected by cameras, and operational groups arrived at the scene.
The peak of the Perseid meteor shower falls on August 12-13, 2025, but the full Moon will complicate observations. Fewer meteors are expected, but bright "fireballs" are possible.
Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico stated that his country provides significant assistance to Ukraine, but relations cannot be one-sided. He pointed to Ukraine's cessation of gas supplies through its territory, which harmed Slovakia.
"Ukrzaliznytsia" for the first time organized the transportation of petroleum products from Germany to Ukraine in its own specialized tank cars. The entire route from Hamburg to the Ukrainian border was provided by the subsidiary UZ Cargo Poland Sp. z o.o.
Kazakh company KazMunayGas delivered 85,000 tons of oil to Hungary for the first time by sea via the Croatian port of Omišalj. The oil is intended for the Danube Refinery in Százhalombatta, which expands Kazakhstan's exports and diversifies Hungary's imports.
The full-scale war has placed Ukrainian businesses under extraordinary pressure. For the aviation sector, this has meant more than the loss of access to infrastructure — it has brought a complete shutdown of the domestic market, forced relocation, adaptation to new realities, and the challenge of maintaining world-class standards on the international stage.
The National Bank of Ukraine reports that food prices in Ukraine have converged with European ones, and some, like butter, have even exceeded them. This is due to internal and external factors, including high production costs and differences in VAT rates.
Ukrainian police, together with foreign colleagues, identified a resident of Dnipro who sent false reports about the mining of educational institutions and leisure centers in the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Latvia. He has been charged with knowingly false reporting of a threat to public safety.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine plans to open over 10 new consular offices by the end of the year, including in Romania, Iraq, Italy, Germany, Slovakia, France, and Poland. Consulates in Antalya and Gdansk will receive general consulate status.
Ukraine welcomes the 18th package of EU sanctions against Russia, but considers it insufficient. Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko emphasized the need to strengthen sanction policy, particularly from the US, to limit Russia's ability to continue the war.
The European Union has approved the 18th package of sanctions against Russia, covering the banking, energy, and military-industrial sectors. The package includes a new dynamic oil price cap, and Slovakia supported it after receiving guarantees regarding gas prices.
EU ambassadors approved the 18th package of sanctions against Russia. Slovakia, which previously blocked the sanctions, supported them after reaching agreements with the European Commission on gas prices.
Slovakia will allow the approval of the 18th package of EU sanctions against Russia on July 18. Prime Minister Robert Fico agreed with Ursula von der Leyen on guarantees regarding gas prices and its possible shortage.
Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico stated that the country will not support the EU's REPowerEU initiative to abandon Russian gas from 2028. Slovakia links this issue to the 18th package of sanctions against the Russian Federation, demanding a postponement of the vote.