Fico said he reached an agreement with von der Leyen to resume supplies via the Druzhba pipeline

Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen have agreed on steps to resume oil transit through the Druzhba pipeline via Ukraine.

Fico announced this after talks with von der Leyen in a post on Facebook.

According to Fico, the sides agreed to send an inspection team to Ukraine to determine whether the pipeline is damaged. If Druzhba is indeed damaged, it should be repaired as quickly as possible. He added that the European Commission agreed to provide funding and experts if needed for the repairs, and also confirmed Slovakia’s right to receive Russian oil, the Slovak prime minister said.

“These conclusions clearly show that the European Commission and Slovakia stand shoulder to shoulder on the issue of supplies of Russian oil,” Fico wrote.

The day before, Fico announced plans to file a complaint against the European Commission in order to ensure stable oil and gas supplies through the end of 2027.

Pumping through Druzhba stopped after the pipeline was damaged on January 27. Fico has said he does not believe Ukraine’s information about damage to the Druzhba pipeline, calling the halt in supplies political blackmail. In response, Slovakia announced it would stop emergency electricity supplies to Ukraine.