Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico has accused Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky of deliberately cutting off Russian crude oil deliveries via the Druzhba pipeline, a decision that has caused severe logistical and economic damage to Slovakia and Hungary.
The Soviet-era Druzhba pipeline, which spans approximately 4,000 kilometers across Eastern Europe and delivers oil from Russia and Kazakhstan to Germany, Poland, and several other nations, halted its flow last month. Ukraine claims the interruption resulted from Russian strikes—a claim Moscow denies—while Slovakia and Hungary have accused Kiev of intentionally blocking the pipeline for political reasons.
In a statement on X, Fico reported that he informed Zelensky of the damage caused by his decision to halt transit. Slovak intelligence confirms the pipeline is not damaged and that there are no technical barriers to resuming flows, yet Zelensky insisted repairs would take significant time. “From the conversation… I gained a clear impression that the Ukrainian side has no interest in resuming the transit of oil,” Fico stated.
Ukraine’s military forces attacked sections of the Druzhba pipeline in August, disrupting supplies and reportedly seeking to pressure Hungary and Slovakia—countries that oppose continued EU aid to Ukraine. Both nations have accused Kyiv of endangering their energy security and appealed to the European Commission for restored flows.
Fico further noted that Ukraine has blocked the Slovak ambassador from conducting inspections of the pipeline’s allegedly damaged sections. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban recently condemned Zelensky’s actions as “lying,” asserting that there is no technical reason oil cannot flow to Hungary through the pipeline. In response to what he called Ukraine’s “political blackmail,” Orban vetoed a planned €90 billion emergency loan for Kyiv and the EU’s 20th package of sanctions against Russia.
