The leaders of the member states of the European Union on Thursday in Brussels during the discussion on Ukraine dealt exclusively with the blocked loan for Kyiv in the amount of 90 billion euros and the interruption of oil supplies to Slovakia and Hungary via the Druzhba pipeline. He declared it Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico, according to whom there was no progress on any issue. He further confirmed that he did not support the conclusions of the summit on Ukraine, informs the TASR special reporter.
“The loan to Ukraine remains blocked and no deadline has been set for the resumption of Russian oil supplies through this pipeline (Druzhba),” announced the Prime Minister of the Slovak Republic. Fico stated that informed partners in the EU about the declaration of an oil emergency in Slovakia and about the problems caused by the stoppage of oil transit. At the same time, he reminded that according to the decisions of the Union institutions, Slovakia and Hungary have the right to take Russian oil until the end of 2027.
According to him, the situation is significantly complicated by the military conflict in the Middle Eastwhich restricts access to oil and sharply increases its prices. The Prime Minister expressed disappointment that the European Union failed to convince or force Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to allow an immediate inspection of the “allegedly” damaged pipeline, its repair and the resumption of operations as soon as possible.
At the same time, he accused Zelensky of illegitimate interference in the election campaign in Hungary with the aim of replacing the current government of Prime Minister Viktor Orbán. The one for the Druzhba pipeline dispute is blocking the approval of the EU loan for Ukraine for the years 2026 to 2027, as well as the 20th package of anti-Russian sanctions.
Fico again emphasized that Slovakia is ready to take further measures against Ukraine “if its political leadership will continue to intentionally harm Slovakia economically”. He reminded that Bratislava has already stopped supplying emergency electricity to Kyiv. At the same time, the Slovak Prime Minister confirmed that he refused to support the conclusions of the summit on Ukraine. He demanded that the document also contain a mention of the Druzhba oil pipeline, which ultimately did not happen.
