Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico, following Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, announced his intention to block the allocation of a large loan of 90 billion euros from the European Union to Ukraine if the supply of Russian oil through the "Druzhba" pipeline is not restored. This is reported by Reuters, writes UNN.
Details
On Sunday, the Slovak leader announced that he was preparing for a meeting with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in Paris to demand the immediate resumption of transit, which was stopped at the end of January after a Russian attack on infrastructure.
Diplomatic pressure and threat to financial aid
Slovakia and Hungary are increasing joint pressure on Kyiv, accusing the Ukrainian side of deliberately delaying repair work on the damaged section of the oil pipeline for political reasons. Despite Ukraine's claims that it is impossible to quickly restore the facility due to significant damage from the fire, Fico insists on involving European experts to check the condition of the pipe.
EU considers financial aid to restore oil supplies via 'Druzhba'06.03.26, 17:35 • [views_62659]
The Slovak Prime Minister emphasized that his country is ready to support Hungary's veto on financial and military aid to Kyiv, using this as a tool of influence.
Blocking this huge military gift to Ukraine is a legitimate tool to achieve the restoration of oil supplies. The most important message will be that Slovakia is ready to take over from Hungary if necessary
Escalation of the energy conflict
Against the backdrop of the dispute, Slovakia has already resorted to restrictions, stopping emergency electricity supplies to Ukraine. At the same time, the European Commission is looking for ways to resolve the crisis, considering the possibility of providing financial assistance to restore oil flows.
The situation is complicated by the political context in Hungary, where Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, on the eve of the elections, made the issues of the war in Ukraine and energy security central themes of his campaign. Currently, the parties are awaiting the results of negotiations in Brussels and Paris, which should determine the further fate of transit through "Druzhba".