All day spent talking about Ukraine: Fico complains about Zelenskyy and blocked oil
Photo: Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico (Getty Images)
Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico complained that during the European Council summit on March 19, the entire day was spent "talking about Ukraine," but there has still been no progress in restoring the supply of Russian oil, according to a post by Fico on Facebook.
According to the Slovak prime minister, the first part of the summit was entirely devoted to discussing a 90-billion-euro loan for Ukraine and problems with the Druzhba oil pipeline. Fico announced the introduction of a state of emergency in Slovakia’s oil sector due to the suspension of Russian oil supplies.
He accused Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of making a "unilateral decision" to stop the transit and called it "illegal interference in the election campaign in Hungary." In Fico’s view, Ukraine is deliberately causing economic damage to EU countries despite the assistance it has received.
Fico stressed that Slovakia and Hungary have the right to receive Russian oil until the end of 2027. He also expressed outrage that the European Union cannot "force" Ukraine to restore the operation of the pipeline.
The Slovak prime minister confirmed readiness to take further steps against Ukraine. He recalled that one such measure had already been the suspension of emergency electricity supplies. Fico emphasized that relations with Ukraine cannot be a "one-way ticket" and said he would refuse to approve decisions in favor of Kyiv on behalf of his country.
Loan issue
The pro-Russian Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orbán blocked the 90-billion-euro loan for Ukraine, which he himself had approved in December. This caused outrage in the EU, as Orbán crossed a line beyond which the EU would no longer remain silent.
For example, Germany expressed strong disapproval, and Sweden openly stated its readiness to consider Article 7 of the EU Treaty — the mechanism for stripping Hungary of its voting rights. European Council President António Costa even called Orbán’s behavior "unacceptable."
At the same time, the summit noted that the European Union could start transferring funds to Ukraine under the 90-billion-euro loan as early as the beginning of April. However, by the end of the first day of negotiations, this had not been achieved.
Slovakia and the Druzhba pipeline
Earlier, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called Fico and invited him to visit Ukraine. Zelenskyy suggested discussing the situation surrounding the Druzhba oil pipeline.
In response, Fico said that a meeting with Zelenskyy was possible, but it would only take place after Bratislava consulted with the European Commission and Hungary regarding the transit of Russian oil.
After Ukraine announced that repairing the pipeline would take one and a half months, Slovak Foreign Minister Juraj Blanár emphasized the need to send experts to the Druzhba pipeline. According to him, Bratislava reportedly doubts the timeline for repairs provided by Kyiv.
