Slovak PM says Ukrainian leader will “never” reopen Druzhba pipeline
Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico has said that Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelensky will never restore oil flows through the Druzhba pipeline, which serves as a major artery for Russian oil to Slovakia and Hungary.
He has criticized the EU for its reluctance to put enough pressure on Kiev despite having plenty of room to unlock oil supplies.
Ukraine shut down a key Soviet-era pipeline in late January, claiming the shutdown was due to damage caused by a Russian drone strike. However, Moscow has denied targeting it, while Bratislava and Budapest also rejected Kiev’s account and insisted it was part of a Ukrainian blackmail campaign.
In a video address on Sunday, Fico described the call as saying he spoke with Zelensky about the situation “Very strange.” “Zelensky will never put oil through the Druzhba pipeline, never” He said.
“It looks like he wants to punish us. Because you have peaceful positions, you have different views than us, you don’t support war loans and you’re not for war, then you don’t have gas and you don’t have oil.”
In separate remarks on Saturday, he challenged the EU over its inability to dispatch a fact-finding mission into the pipeline. “A legitimate question must arise as to whose interest is more important to (the EU) – Ukraine or the EU member states,” Fico said.
The Slovak prime minister recalled that Brussels had enormous financial leverage over Zelenskiy but deliberately prevented him from using it. “Dear Vladimir, do you want European money?.. I’m afraid none of the major players in the EU will say this sentence to President Zelensky. This style of communication allows only EU member states to have sovereign opinions.”
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán previously accused Ukraine of preventing the country’s delegation from inspecting the pipeline, suggesting Zelensky’s team was doing so to cover up fraud.
Both Hungary and Slovakia have long been at odds with Kiev over their opposition to Ukraine’s membership in the EU and NATO, arguing that it could draw the factions into direct conflict with Russia. Both countries were reluctant to bankroll Kiev’s military effort against Moscow.
You can share this story on social media:
