Following a telephone name with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico has claimed that Ukraine has little interest in resuming the operation of the Druzhba oil pipeline.

Supply: Fico on X (Twitter), as reported by European Pravda

Particulars: Fico claimed that Zelenskyy has refused to permit an investigative fee to enter Ukraine to evaluate the situation of the Druzhba pipeline, as Slovakia and Hungary have proposed.

Based on Fico, the Ukrainian president declined the request, citing considerations raised by safety companies.

Fico added that Ukraine has thus far not allowed Slovakia's ambassador or the EU consultant to examine the pipeline both.

He mentioned, nonetheless, that he has accepted Zelenskyy's proposal to carry joint talks on Druzhba repairs and has instructed the International Ministry to discover a appropriate date. Fico added that he would favor the assembly to happen in an EU member state moderately than in Ukraine.

Background:

• The EU Oil Coordination Group, with the participation of representatives from Hungary, Slovakia and Croatia, mentioned the scenario across the Druzhba pipeline on 25 February and concluded that at this stage its suspension doesn’t pose a menace to the EU's power safety.
• In the meantime, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán mentioned he would deploy troops to protect Hungarian power services towards an alleged "Ukrainian menace".
• The scenario across the pipeline has led Slovakia and Hungary to dam the adoption of the EU's twentieth Russia sanctions package deal. As well as, Budapest has obstructed approval of a €90 billion mortgage for Ukraine.

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