Fico did not sign the European Council’s conclusions on Ukraine due to the lack of any mention of the Druzhba oil pipeline
Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico refused to sign the European Council’s conclusions on Ukraine dated March 19 because the text did not include a provision on resuming operations of the Druzhba oil pipeline.
According to the European Parliament, the Slovak side demanded that the document include a call on Kyiv to resume oil transit from Russia, but most EU countries rejected these amendments to the already agreed-upon draft.
Despite Slovakia’s position, the adopted conclusions contain a strong condemnation of Russia’s actions aimed at the systematic destruction of Ukraine’s civilian and energy infrastructure. The European Council called for intensified international efforts to urgently repair and strengthen Ukraine’s energy system and confirmed its readiness to continue providing humanitarian aid.
Previously, Robert Fico had repeatedly emphasized the critical importance of the Druzhba oil pipeline for his country’s energy security. At the same time, the text of the conclusions contained only general provisions regarding support for Ukraine’s energy sector, which led the Slovak leader to refuse to sign the final version of the document.
It was previously reported that European experts would visit the Druzhba oil pipeline in Ukraine. They are to assess the situation at the facility ahead of an important meeting of EU leaders regarding financial aid to Kyiv.
It was also reported that Ukraine accepted EU aid for the repair of the Druzhba pipeline.
