Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico said he did not support the conclusions of the March 19 European Union Council meeting on Ukraine because they did not mention the Druzhba oil pipeline. The conclusions call for the rapid adoption of the 20th package of sanctions against Russia and the approval of a 90 billion euro loan for Ukraine.
Robert Fico's statement is reported by the correspondent of Suspilny.
Fico accused Ukrainian President Zelensky of allegedly causing a state of emergency in Slovakia's energy system by halting Russian oil supplies through the Druzhba pipeline. In January, Russia attacked the pipeline's infrastructure, causing oil to stop flowing.
“I recalled that, according to decisions of EU bodies, Slovakia and Hungary have the right to receive Russian oil until the end of 2027 not only through the Druzhba oil pipeline, but also by sea. The situation is further complicated by the military conflict in Iran, which limits access to oil and sharply increases its price,” Fico said.
The Prime Minister of Slovakia also said that the EU should “force” Ukrainian President Zelensky “to allow immediate inspection of the allegedly damaged oil pipeline, its repair and the earliest possible restoration of its operation.”
“I asked the question: are we in the EU that weak, or is this a deliberate attempt to permanently cut off Slovakia and Hungary from Russian oil supplies,” said Robert Fico.
The Council of the European Union, in its conclusions after the meeting on March 19, emphasized the rapid adoption of the 20th package of sanctions against Russia. The conclusions are reported by a correspondent of Suspilny.
“The Council reiterates the importance of further reducing Russia's energy revenues and further restricting Russia's banking system, and took stock of efforts aimed at deterring the operations of Russia's shadow fleet,” the EU Council conclusions state.
The EU Council also expects the first payment to Ukraine by early April under a €90 billion loan, which was approved to be allocated to Ukraine in December 2025.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban and Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico did not support the conclusions of the Council of the European Union on Ukraine.