Oil deliveries via the Druzhba pipeline to Slovakia and Hungary were suspended after the Jan. 27 attack, Ukrainian officials said, blaming Russia for the damage to the pipeline, Xinhua reported.
Slovakia later declared a state of emergency in the oil industry and claimed that Ukraine was deliberately halting oil shipments via pipelines.
According to a Slovak News Agency report, Blanar said Slovakia would not approve the 20th package of EU sanctions if the pipeline remains non-operational, arguing that Bratislava “has no other tools” to pressure Ukraine and the European Commission to restore the flow of oil through the Druzhba.
His remarks suggest Slovakia could block the proposed sanctions package, which requires unanimous approval by EU member states.
However, Blanar also said that Slovakia is not blocking EU loans to Ukraine, noting that it opted for an exemption from the start and secured an exemption, along with the Czech Republic and Hungary, from guarantees and interest payments.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban had previously blocked the loan disbursement due to the suspension of Russian oil deliveries via the Druzhba pipeline, while Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico said Slovakia could take over Hungary’s role if necessary.
(Vijesti.ba)
