Slovakia has expressed its readiness to lift its objections to providing Ukraine with a loan from the European Union amounting to 90 billion euros. However, the country maintains its cautious stance regarding the adoption of the twentieth sanctions package against the Russian Federation. This information was announced by Slovakia’s Foreign Minister Juraj Blanár during a speech at the European Committee of the Slovak Parliament.
This is reported by Kyiv24
Slovakia’s Position and Hungary’s Role
Juraj Blanár emphasized that Slovakia’s position on the loan is closely linked to the decisions of Hungary. According to him, the new Hungarian government led by Péter Madár, which is succeeding the current Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, also agrees to unblock financial assistance for Ukraine. This could be an important step for Kyiv to receive the necessary funds.
Regarding support for the new sanctions package against Russia, Slovakia is setting an additional condition. In particular, Minister Blanár tied his position to the need for clear guarantees regarding the resumption of operations of the Druzhba oil pipeline, through which Slovakia receives Russian oil via transit through Ukraine.
The Druzhba Pipeline and the Position of the Ukrainian Side
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated during his visit to Berlin on April 14 that the Druzhba pipeline will be partially repaired by the end of the month. According to him, the repairs will allow the pipeline to function, although the tanks will not be fully restored in time. Zelensky emphasized that this step must coincide with other important actions by EU member states, primarily Hungary, regarding the unblocking of credit support for Ukraine.
“By the end of April, it will be repaired, not completely, but enough to function. Not all tanks will be repaired; this is a long process, but the question is whether it will be able to function? Yes, by the end of April,” Zelensky said, stressing that it is important for this step to coincide with other actions by EU members, primarily Hungary, regarding the unblocking of assistance to Ukraine.
Meanwhile, the new leader of the Hungarian party Tisza, Péter Madár, which won the recent parliamentary elections, has already expressed his intention to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. The Ukrainian president also confirmed his readiness for such a meeting.
Péter Madár made it clear that he plans to lift the veto imposed by Viktor Orbán’s government on the allocation of a 90 billion euro loan to Kyiv. At the same time, he noted that Hungary will not take on financial responsibility for this loan and opposes the accelerated accession of Ukraine to the EU. Madár also emphasized that the normalization of relations with Kyiv depends on the observance of the rights of the Hungarian national minority in Ukraine.