Slovakia threatens to block credit for Kyiv following Hungary
Slovakia may block further loans for Ukraine. The government also criticized the EU leadership and President Volodymyr Zelensky over the situation with oil supplies.
This was reported by RBC-Ukraine, citing a statement from Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico during the “Saturday Dialogues” program, as quoted by Aktuality.
Also read: All day they talked about Ukraine: Fico complained about Zelensky and blocked oil
Position on loans and the EU
According to the publication, Robert Fico expressed support for Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who is blocking the allocation of a €90 billion loan to Ukraine.
The Slovak Prime Minister noted that in the future, Slovakia may also resort to blocking financial assistance.
Additionally, Fico advocated for a change in the leadership of the European Union. In particular, he criticized the activities of European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and the head of European diplomacy, Josep Borrell, stating that the leaders of the EU should be representatives of major states, such as French President Emmanuel Macron.
Oil blackmail and criticism of Zelensky
The Slovak Prime Minister accused Ukraine of halting the operation of the Druzhba oil pipeline, which has led to a cessation of Russian oil supplies to Slovakia and Hungary since January 27.
According to Fico, the resumption of supplies depends solely on the decision of Volodymyr Zelensky.
“I will not let Zelensky lead me by the nose. You can’t just say: ‘Robert, you’re unpopular in Kyiv, so come visit me.’ I’m not suicidal,” Fico stated, explaining his refusal to visit the Ukrainian capital.
He also added that the fuel crisis will lead to rising food prices, but denies his government’s responsibility for these processes, calling them a result of the global situation.
Blocking aid and the oil crisis
Recall that on March 19, a summit of EU leaders took place in Brussels, where the key topic was assistance to Ukraine. However, the negotiations ended in a practical failure regarding the allocation of the €90 billion loan, as Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban did not lift his veto.
Following the summit, Robert Fico stated that the leaders “talked about Ukraine all day,” but made no progress on the issue of resuming Russian oil supplies through the Druzhba pipeline.
Earlier, on February 27, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Robert Fico held a phone conversation amid energy disputes, during which Zelensky invited the Slovak Prime Minister to Kyiv to discuss outstanding issues, but no agreement for the visit was reached at that time.
