Minister of Foreign Affairs Juraj Blanár (Smer-SD) confirmed that there was a discussion between the Hungarian and Slovak sides about participation in the inspection of the damaged Družba oil pipeline. However, according to him, Hungary decided to implement it earlier than originally planned. He considers it important that the Slovak Republic asked the Ukrainian side to allow the inspection to be carried out. According to him, the European Union also requested it. He stated this to journalists after Thursday’s parliamentary committee for European affairs. He was reacting to the opposition’s criticism of the Slovak Republic’s non-participation in the inspection.
- Juraj Blanár confirmed that Slovakia and Hungary discussed a joint inspection of Družba.
- Hungary eventually sent a delegation to inspect the pipeline earlier and separately.
- Both Slovakia and the European Union officially asked Ukraine to allow an international inspection of the pipeline.
- Ukraine described the arrival of the Hungarian group as a private trip without official status.
- Russian oil has not flowed through the pipeline since January 27, and Budapest and Bratislava suspect Kyiv of blackmail.
Information about that the Hungarian delegation is on site, according to their words, it has also been confirmed from Ukraine. According to him, however, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine has declared that such a commission has not been agreed upon and does not know about it.
The Chairman of Progressive Slovakia, Michal Šimečka, criticized that Slovakia is not part of the delegation, although Prime Minister Robert Fico (Smer-SD) has been talking about it for several days. “The prime minister has been saying for several days that a delegation should be sent to Ukraine to check the damage to the Druzhba oil pipeline. Now the Hungarian delegation is going there, but Slovakia is not in it. I don’t know if the government didn’t know about it, or if they didn’t have time to wrap their heads around it“, said Šimečka.
Blanár emphasized that Slovakia asked the Ukrainian side to allow the inspection. “It was also from the level of the European Union, where the representation of the European Union in Kyiv directly asked the Ukrainian side so that we could conduct an inspection with the participation of European experts, which the Ukrainian side has so far refused.” added Blanár.
Therefore, according to Blanár Slovakia communicated with the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, in order to be allowed to look at the Družba pipeline in cooperation with the EU. At the same time, so that Ukraine fulfills its obligations, by which it is bound as an associated country that is interested in joining the European Union. As he recalled, oil is still a commodity that can be imported to Slovakia because it is exempt from sanctions. According to him, SR therefore demands that the operation of Družba be restored as soon as possible. “We don’t know why and under what circumstances the Ukrainian side is defending it so far,” added the head of Slovak diplomacy.
Ukraine confirmed the arrival of a group of Hungarians in the country on Wednesday (11/03) after Budapest announced it had sent a delegation to negotiate the damaged Druzhba pipeline, which transports Russian oil to Hungary and Slovakia. However, according to Kyiv, this group has no official status. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy declared on Wednesday evening that he did not know about the arrival of the Hungarian delegation. According to his words, the Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs informed him that a group of people from Hungary arrived in Ukraine, whose trip was marked as private.
Oil from Russia has not flowed through the Druzhba pipeline to Hungary and Slovakia since January 27. According to Kyiv, the reason is the Russian attack on the oil pipeline facility. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico (Smer-SD) suspect Ukraine of political blackmail, which claims that it is working to repair damaged infrastructure.
