Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico stated that there are discrepancies with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky regarding the condition of the Druzhba pipeline. According to Fico, information from Slovak intelligence indicates that the pipeline is undamaged and can continue to transit oil, while the Ukrainian side insists on the need for extensive repairs.
This is reported by Kyiv24
Proposal to Create an Inspection Group and Ukraine’s Response
During the talks, Fico proposed to establish a joint inspection group involving experts from the European Commission and EU member states to assess the condition of the Druzhba pipeline on-site. However, according to the Prime Minister, President Zelensky rejected this initiative, citing the negative stance of Ukrainian intelligence services.
“The conversation confirmed that we have different views on the condition of the pipeline. While our intelligence data confirms that the pipeline is undamaged and nothing hinders the transit of oil, the President of Ukraine insisted that repairing the pipeline would take a long time.”
In response, President Zelensky invited Robert Fico to Ukraine to discuss all aspects of bilateral cooperation. Fico confirmed his readiness for such a meeting but suggested holding it on the territory of one of the EU countries.
Hungary’s Position, the EU, and Economic Consequences
At the same time, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban announced consultations with his Slovak counterpart on February 27 due to the fact that oil supplies through the Druzhba pipeline have not yet been restored. The day before, Orban accused Ukraine of blocking the pipeline and called for “greater respect for Hungary,” as well as urged the European Union to conduct a fact-finding mission to assess the condition of the pipeline. In Orban’s opinion, this could help unblock new EU funding for Ukraine.
Slovakia and Hungary are currently blocking the adoption of the 20th sanctions package against Russia and the allocation of multi-billion financial aid for Ukraine, insisting on the resumption of Russian oil transportation through the Druzhba pipeline.
The Ukrainian side insists that the pipeline was damaged due to Russian shelling at the end of January, while representatives of Hungary and Slovakia do not acknowledge this fact. On February 23, the European Commission confirmed that “Russia has destroyed the Druzhba pipeline,” while noting that Ukraine is obliged to repair it. The timing of the restoration will depend on the Ukrainian side.
After the onset of Russia’s large-scale aggression, the EU banned the import of Russian oil; however, exceptions were made for Hungary, Slovakia, and Austria due to their dependence on the Druzhba pipeline and lack of access to the sea.
According to a study by the Finnish Center for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA) and the Bulgarian Center for the Study of Democracy (CSD), in 2022–2024, the import of Russian oil to Hungary and Slovakia brought 5.4 billion euros to the Russian budget, equivalent to the cost of approximately 1,800 Iskander-M ballistic missiles.
The Druzhba pipeline transits through Ukraine and facilitates the transportation of Russian oil to European countries, primarily Hungary and Slovakia.