politics
March 17, 2026
Zelensky seeking to ‘punish’ Slovakia for peace aspirations
The Druzhba pipeline will stay closed as Ukraine hopes to “punish” Slovakia for desiring peace between Kiev and Moscow, Robert Fico says
TL;DR
- Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico believes Ukraine's Zelensky will never restart oil flows through the Druzhba pipeline.
- Fico suggests Zelensky is attempting to 'punish' Slovakia for its peaceful positions and opposition to war loans.
- Ukraine shut down the pipeline in late January, citing damage from a Russian drone strike, a claim denied by Moscow and disputed by Bratislava and Budapest.
- Fico criticized the EU for failing to exert sufficient pressure on Kiev to unlock oil supplies and for not dispatching a fact-finding mission.
- He questioned whether the EU prioritizes Ukraine's interests over those of its member states.
- Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orban also accused Ukraine of preventing inspections of the pipeline.
- Slovakia and Hungary oppose Ukraine's EU and NATO membership, fearing direct conflict with Russia.
- Both countries have been reluctant to financially support Ukraine's military actions against Moscow.
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