The contradictions between Slovakia and Ukraine remained after the meeting of their two leaders, Robert Fico and Volodymyr Zelensky, on Friday in Western Ukraine, DPA reported, BTA writes.
After the talks, which took place in the Ukrainian city of Uzhgorod, which borders Slovakia, Fico noted to journalists from his country: “We understood that we had not agreed on anything“.
Zelensky wrote in Ex that the discussions were substantive. According to him, he informed Fico about the results of his last conversation with US President Donald Trump and the actions of the countries supporting Kiev from the so-called Coalition of the Willing.
The Slovak leader, in turn, informed Zelensky about his contacts with China.
THE PROBLEM ISSUE - OIL
“Another important issue was Europe's energy dependence - Russian oil, like Russian gas, has no future”, Zelensky wrote.
According to media reports, Trump had berated Ukraine's European supporters in a telephone conversation the previous day for continuing to conclude oil deals with Russia. He is said to have insisted that they stop doing this, as it allows Moscow to finance its war against Kiev.
In relations between the two Slavic neighbors, Slovakia and Ukraine, tensions often arise over oil supplies, DPA notes.
Before the conversation with Zelensky, Fico announced his intention to express his dissatisfaction to him over the Ukrainian shelling of the Russian section of the Druzhba oil pipeline. The constant damage to the pipe constitutes an "encroachment on Slovakia's energy security."
The pipeline serves to transport Russian crude oil overland to Slovakia and Hungary.
UNANIMOUS ON KYIV'S EUROPEAN MEMBERSHIP
Despite everything, Bratislava will continue to support Kiev's accession to the EU. The Slovak cabinet also supports “all initiatives that will lead to a ceasefire and peace“.
The two politicians agreed to hold a joint meeting of their governments on October 20.
Zelensky wrote that Slovakia's support for his country's European path is important. They agreed that Moldova and Ukraine should work together to join the EU.
Zelensky also published photos from the opening of the Uzhgorod - Chop section of a new railway line, which was built with a gauge according to European, not Russian, standards. Uzhhorod is the first Ukrainian regional city that, thanks to the new line, will be connected to Bratislava, the eastern Slovak city of Kosice, Budapest and Vienna.
ZELENSKIY ACCUSES PUTIN OF INVITING UKRAINE'S NEIGHBORS TO AN ENERGY BLOCKADE
At the press conference with Fico, Zelensky said that if his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin sincerely wanted an end to the war, he would not have incited Ukraine's neighbors to impose an energy blockade, Ukrinform reported.
"If someone really wants to end a war, they will not force your neighboring countries to impose an energy blockade on you. This shows that he wants to attack our energy sector and understands that we are thwarting this as much as we can and importing energy when we can, in accordance with EU rules," the Ukrainian leader said.
He expressed gratitude to all European countries that have supplied energy to Ukraine in times of need.
"We are grateful to all countries, including Slovakia, that help us receive energy when it is in deficit," the president added.
Zelensky said that the most worrying thing is Russia's attempts to block energy supplies to Ukraine.
"That's the problem - we are not putting enough pressure on Russia to make it think about ending the war. The pressure must be universal and come from all partners in Europe and the United States," he stressed.
He added that US President Donald Trump had been "extremely outspoken about the need for Europe to stop receiving energy resources from Russia, which profits from them and uses the revenues to wage war against Ukraine."
Last week, Fico met with Putin in Beijing to discuss Ukraine-related issues. The Slovak leader said he was categorically against Ukrainian attacks on the Druzhba oil pipeline,
Hungarian expert Andras Ratz told Ukrinform that Ukrainian attacks on the Druzhba pipeline are part of a larger strategy aimed at the Russian oil industry and that the disruption of supplies to Hungary and Slovakia is only an indirect effect.
NEW BLOW ON DRUGHBA
Ukraine attacked the "Druzhba" oil pipeline in Russia's Bryansk region and caused "major damage as a result of the fire", the commander of the Ukrainian unmanned forces, Robert Brovdy, said on "Telegram" on Sunday, as quoted by Reuters.
The agency notes that it cannot independently verify this information. There has been no comment from Russia so far.
The transit pipeline serves to deliver Russian crude oil to Hungary and Slovakia, which continue to buy it from Russia even after other European Union countries stopped doing so due to the invasion of Ukraine.
Kiev has said that the strikes on Russian energy facilities are a response to Moscow's ongoing attacks on Ukraine and are aimed at undermining Russia's military efforts.
Crude oil supplies to both European countries have been repeatedly disrupted in recent weeks due to Ukrainian attacks.