Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico announced that he has come to an agreement with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen regarding the need to rehabilitate the Druzhba oil pipeline after a discussion during the World Nuclear Forum.
The pipeline transporting Russian oil via Ukraine to Slovakia and Hungary was hit during a Russian drone strike in late January and remains unrepaired. Bratislava and Budapest assert that it is still functioning and claim that Kyiv is utilizing the issue for political extortion.
"We talked about the necessity to restart the passage of Russian oil via Ukrainian land to Slovakia. I am pleased that our views align with the European Commission regarding this matter," Fico mentioned in a statement posted on social media after the discussions.
Von der Leyen released her own statement following the meeting, yet did not directly mention the pipeline.
"We talked about the importance of affordable energy costs for Europeans while ensuring secure supplies for Slovakia and the EU. Our energy autonomy is under threat," she remarked, noting that this issue would be a key focus at the upcoming European Council summit.
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Fico cited von der Leyen as aligning with his views on restoration.
"We concur that the Druzhba pipeline should be repaired." If it is broken – we assert that it is not – it needs to be fixed. "We provide our repair capabilities," he stated.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has expressed hesitation to move forward without prerequisites.
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"Honestly, I wouldn’t fix it," he remarked last week, mentioning that any repairs would rely on a ceasefire and could require as much as six weeks to finish.
The conflict has halted the EU’s assistance to Ukraine, as Hungary obstructed a €90 billion EU loan deal due to the pipeline dispute. On Tuesday, Fico warned that EU financial aid for Ukraine could be withheld if the pipeline stays unrepaired and Viktor Orbán loses the elections in April.
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Hungary and Slovakia previously formed a joint expert group and officially sought permission to access the damaged location. Kyiv has yet to reply. The Commission encouraged Ukraine to speed up repair efforts two weeks ago.