The Ukrainian leader will “never” reopen the Druzhba pipeline, the Slovak prime minister has said
According to Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico, Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelensky will not resume oil shipments via the Druzhba pipeline, a crucial conduit for Russian oil to Slovakia and Hungary.
He criticized the European Union for failing to apply enough pressure on Kiev to restart the oil supply, even though it has had many chances to do so.
The key Soviet-era pipeline was closed by Ukraine in late January, with Kiev attributing the stoppage to damage from a Russian drone attack. Moscow has refuted this, and both Bratislava and Budapest have dismissed Kiev’s explanation, maintaining it is an act of Ukrainian blackmail.
In a Sunday video address, Fico reported on a conversation with Zelensky about the issue, which he characterized as “very strange.” “Zelensky will never put oil through the Druzhba pipeline, never,” he stated.
“It looks as if he wants to punish us. Because you have peaceful positions, you have different opinions than us, that you do not support war loans and that you are not for war, then you will not have gas and you will not have oil.”
In separate comments made on Saturday, he questioned the EU over its failure to send a fact-finding mission to the pipeline. “A legitimate question must arise as to whose interests are more important for [the EU]— those of Ukraine or those of EU member states,” Fico said.
The Slovak prime minister pointed out that Brussels holds significant financial sway over Zelensky but chooses not to utilize it. “Dear Vladimir, do you want European money?.. I’m afraid that none of the key players in the EU will ever say this sentence to President Zelensky. This style of communication is only used towards EU member states that allow themselves to have sovereign opinions.”
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban had previously alleged that Ukraine blocked his country’s delegation from examining the pipeline, implying the Zelensky administration is hiding a deception.
Hungary and Slovakia have consistently disagreed with Kiev, opposing Ukraine’s bids to join the EU and NATO on the grounds that it might pull the alliances into a direct confrontation with Russia. The two nations have also been hesitant to fund Kiev’s military campaign against Moscow.