Overview
- President Volodymyr Zelensky invited Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico for talks in Ukraine, and Fico accepted with no date set.
- The Druzhba pipeline remains offline after damage from Russian attacks, halting Russian crude transit to Slovakia and Hungary.
- Slovakia and Hungary have tapped oil reserves to bridge the shortfall, and Slovakia declared an oil emergency.
- Fico accuses Kyiv of delaying repairs and has threatened to suspend electricity supplies to Ukraine if transit is not restored.
- Hungary’s Viktor Orbán is blocking a €90 billion EU loan for Ukraine and a new sanctions package, citing the missing deliveries, as he urges Kyiv to admit Hungarian and Slovak inspectors, while EU chief Ursula von der Leyen calls for faster repairs and Zelensky warns repair crews face attack risks.