Slovak PM Warns EU Sanctions on Russia Threaten Energy Security
Since the escalation of the US–Israel conflict with Iran in late February, European energy costs have surged, with oil prices up 60% and gas prices rising 70%, as noted by Dan Jorgensen. These increases follow earlier hikes after the EU decided to reduce energy imports from Russia in response to the Ukraine conflict.
In a Facebook post, Fico criticized the EU for what he called “ideological blindness and incompetence” and accused Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky of worsening the crisis. He wrote:
“I am not calling for anything else – only for a return to common sense. The whole EU, and especially the European Commission, are beginning to look like a suicide ship when it comes to energy security.”
Fico urged the EU to remove “the absurd sanctions” and take immediate measures to resume flows through the Druzhba pipeline, which transports Russian oil to Europe via Ukraine.
Kiev has long pressured Slovakia and Hungary to reduce reliance on Russian energy. Ukraine claimed the pipeline became non-operational due to a Russian strike and indicated it would repair the system if the EU prevented Hungary and Slovakia from blocking a $104 billion loan to Kyiv.
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