Hungary has been withholding support for the loan as it presses Kyiv to restore oil deliveries through the Druzhba pipeline, which has been out of service since damage was reported in late January. Both Hungary and Slovakia – the last EU member states still dependent on Russian oil – have questioned Ukraine’s assertion that the link was damaged in Russian strikes. Robert Fico, the Slovak prime minister, claimed in a video on Sunday that he has evidence that Druzhba is still functional, accusing Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of waiting for the Hungarian elections on April 12, which could see pro-Russian PM Orbán ousted from office. “The main message will be that Slovakia is ready to take over the baton from Hungary if necessary. For now, the €90 billion military loan for Ukraine is effectively blocked. But I am not naive,” Fico said. “The Ukrainian president has recently been talking about resuming supplies in a month or a month and a half... after the Hungarian elections, where he is counting on the victory of the opposition. Then there will be no chance of oil from the east, unless someone else takes over the baton from Hungary.” Escalation Zelenskyy said earlier this month that repairs to Druzhba could take more than a month and might only be possible during a ceasefire, while adding he would rather not restore a route used to transport Russian crude. Fico is expected to discuss the situation further with EU chief Ursula von der Leyen in a meeting on Tuesday. Echoing top Hungarian officials, the Slovak PM accused the European Commission of prioritizing the “interests of Ukraine” over member states Slovakia and Hungary. The spat between Kyiv and Budapest drastically escalated last week when seven Ukrainian bank workers carrying $82 million in cash and gold were detained by Hungarian officials.
