Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico stated that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky could order the destruction of the Druzhba oil pipeline, criticizing the European Commission’s lack of action to get Kyiv to change its mind.
Fico slammed what he called the “ruthless, brutal violation” of international law by large and powerful states in a video posted on Facebook, quoted by Do Rzeczy, apparently referring to the Ukrainian president, saying it “pushes others into cowboy-style behavior.”
“What Ukrainian President Zelensky showed by threatening Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán crossed all boundaries,” he said.
Zelensky issues dire threat to Hungarian PM Orbán if he continues to block €90 billion in loans to Ukraine.
“We hope this one person [Orban] in the EU will not block €90 billion aid. Otherwise, we will give this person’s address to our armed forces.”pic.twitter.com/ayoSJlDCEs
— Remix News & Views (@RMXnews) March 5, 2026
Fico also said that Volodymyr Zelensky “constantly harms us and believes he can force us to abandon our peaceful stance in favor of a war stance.”
“He’s completely wrong. He doesn’t know me… Oil deliveries through Ukrainian territory are essential for us. But it’s clear that the Ukrainian president has no intention of continuing them, which would mean huge losses for us,” he said.
The Slovak prime minister also criticized the European Commission, accusing it of putting the interests of Ukraine, which is not an EU member, above the “vital national interests of Slovakia and Hungary as EU member states.”
“I will continue to propose that the European Commission compel the president of Ukraine, who has all the resources to do so, to allow a visit to the site where the pipeline was allegedly damaged. Our information and satellite images confirm that nothing has happened to the pipeline. If we delay, I have no doubt that the president of Ukraine is capable of destroying the pipeline,” he stated.
Robert Fico announced earlier on Sunday that he would meet with Ursula von der Leyen in Paris and would press for experts to visit the Friendship pipeline.
The Slovak prime minister warned that he could block a €90 billion EU loan to Kyiv.
“But the most important message will be that Slovakia is ready to take over from Hungary if necessary,” he said, referring to an April election result in which Orbán lost power. “Blocking this massive military donation to Ukraine is a legitimate tool to restore oil supplies.”
The transport of Russian crude oil via the Druzhba pipeline through Ukraine was suspended at the end of January due to large-scale Russian attacks on Ukrainian energy infrastructure, which Kyiv says will take time to repair.
On Feb. 23, Robert Fico announced that “from today on, the rule is that if the Ukrainian side asks Slovakia for help in stabilizing the energy grid, it will not receive such assistance.”
Due to problems with transit through the Druzhba oil pipeline, Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó subsequently announced that Hungary would suspend diesel fuel supplies to Ukraine until the pipeline resumes operation.
A few days later, Szijjarto announced on the X platform that “Hungary will block the EU’s 90 billion loan to Ukraine until the transit of oil to Hungary via the Druzhba pipeline is resumed.” Hungary also did not support the 20th package of EU sanctions against Russia.
On March 2, Orbán announced that satellite imagery and operational information confirmed that the Druzhba pipeline, which transports Russian oil via Ukraine to Hungary and Slovakia, was operational. He called on Volodymyr Zelensky to immediately resume oil deliveries.
The post Fico to meet with von der Leyen as he calls for Brussels to put the interests of EU member states above those of Ukraine appeared first on Remix News.
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