Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico has reached out to political parties in Slovakia, urging them to support his letter to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky regarding the resumption of oil supplies through the Druzhba pipeline.
During a press conference following a government meeting, Fico announced the preparation of the letter and criticized the opposition for its stance on the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. He emphasized the need for a united front in addressing the issue of oil supply.
Fico later shared a draft of the letter on Facebook, which has already garnered signatures from leaders of the Hlas party, Matúš Šutaj Eštok, and the Slovak National Party (SNS), Andrej Danko. Spaces for additional signatures from leaders of parliamentary parties remain available.
The letter indicates that President Zelensky has reportedly decided to halt oil transit, which is causing difficulties for Slovakia, despite the country having rights to receive Russian oil due to exemptions from European Union sanctions.
Furthermore, the document states that the Slovak authorities have found no damage to the pipeline. It proposes an inspection involving the European Commission and relevant countries to assess the pipeline’s condition.
In addition, the letter reaffirms Slovakia’s commitment to providing humanitarian assistance and continuing cooperation with Ukraine.
On January 27, a Russian attack in Brody, Lviv Oblast, damaged critical infrastructure linked to the Druzhba pipeline. Naftogaz reported that the Russian military targeted this infrastructure, resulting in a fire and halting operations at the site.
The Druzhba pipeline is still operational and is used for transporting Russian oil to Hungary and Slovakia. On February 12, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha announced that oil supplies through the Druzhba pipeline had been suspended since January 27 due to the attack. He also noted that Budapest was preparing to file complaints regarding transit issues.
Sybiha criticized Hungary for not protesting against Russia, highlighting a perceived inconsistency in their stance. Both the Hungarian and Slovak governments have announced a halt to diesel exports to Ukraine until Russian oil supplies through the Druzhba pipeline are restored.
The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry has stated that Kyiv informed Budapest about the attack on the Druzhba pipeline and the resulting damages on January 27, asserting that accusations of delays in supplies are unfounded.
The European Commission has expressed a desire for Ukraine to restore operations on the Druzhba pipeline but noted that the decision must be made by Ukraine due to the risk of further Russian attacks.
On February 21, Prime Minister Fico warned that Slovakia would cease electricity supplies to Ukraine if oil transit through the Druzhba pipeline was not resumed. A similar statement was issued by the Hungarian government.
Ukraine has proposed to the European Union the use of the Odessa-Brody pipeline as an alternative for oil supplies to the EU, given the damage to the Druzhba pipeline.
On February 27, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán announced that Hungary and Slovakia would form a joint investigative commission to assess the condition of the Druzhba pipeline. On March 11, reports indicated that a Hungarian delegation, led by State Secretary Gábor Csepregi, had arrived in Ukraine to evaluate the pipeline’s status and discuss the resumption of oil transit to Hungary. However, President Zelensky later stated that he was unaware of any such visit, as no arrangements had been made with the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry.
Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico is seeking political support to resume oil supplies through the Druzhba pipeline, following a recent suspension due to a Russian attack. The initiative highlights ongoing tensions regarding energy supplies between Slovakia, Ukraine, and Russia.