Stopping the transit of Russian oil through the territory of Ukraine after the attack on the gas station is a serious issue for Slovakia, which requires an immediate and transparent solution. Head of Slovak diplomacy Juraj Blanár (Smer-SD) emphasized at the meeting of the EU Council for Foreign Affairs that Despite extensive and long-term assistance to Ukraine, Slovakia has not yet received relevant information about the extent of damage to the Druzhba pipeline and the possibilities of restoring supplies. This was stated by the communication department of the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs of the Slovak Republic.
“The approach of the Ukrainian side is incomprehensible to us. He does not communicate with us and does not give us relevant information despite the fact that we asked that our representatives can go to see the damage site. In this matter, we also asked the European Commissioner (Dana for energy, note TASR) Jorgensen, that an inspection team be sent to the site to assess whether the damage is to such an extent that oil deliveries cannot continue“, said the head of Slovak diplomacy.
According to Blanár, Slovakia has been providing Ukraine with extensive and specific assistance for a long time, especially in the field of energy and supporting the civilian population. According to him, fifteen percent of diesel consumption in Ukraine is covered by production from Slovnaft. Slovakia also supplies gas with reverse flows and also ensures emergency supplies of electricity in the event of blackouts caused by attacks on the energy infrastructure.
“We are helping Ukraine as much as possible. We do not understand why there is no relevant answer from the other side and why we are not allowed to go and see the place of damage and find out how we can solve the situation together.” emphasized Blanár.
At the same time, he recalled the adoption of measures to ensure the energy stability of the Slovak Republic. He emphasized above all the purchase of oil from alternative sources with the aim of transporting it to Slovakia via the Adria pipeline and the government’s release of emergency stocks from state reserves to bridge the blackout period.
Blanár in Brussels also informed the European partners about the political reservation of the Slovak Republic to the prepared 20th package of anti-Russian sanctions. “Accepting further sanctions may damage the ongoing peace negotiations. The Slovak Republic has been promoting a peaceful solution to the conflict from the beginning, which is why we expressed reservations about this package,” said Blanár. He added that other EU member states currently have comments on the package, and it is therefore necessary to assess all its aspects.
He emphasized at the same time that Slovakia has always been and is interested in a constructive dialogue with the Ukrainian side in order to avoid taking further reciprocal measures. “I firmly believe that the Ukrainian side will use the time for negotiations, and that we will not have to take further reciprocal steps. It is essential for us to know what awaits us, and therefore we need relevant information,” concluded Blanár.
He recalled the decision of the Prime Minister of the Slovak Republic Robert Fico (Smer-SD) to temporarily suspend the emergency supply of electricity to Ukraine until the transit of oil to Slovakia via the Druzhba pipeline is restored.
