Slovakia signals support for new EU sanctions after resumption of oil flows

Slovak Foreign Minister Juraj Blanár has instructed Slovakia’s representative to the European Union not to block the approval of the bloc’s 20th package of sanctions against Russia, following the resumption of oil supplies through the Druzhba pipeline.

Writing on Facebook, Blanár said the decision came after Russian oil flows to Slovakia restarted on the morning of April 23, ending a suspension that had lasted nearly three months. The restoration of supplies had been a key condition set by Bratislava for backing the new sanctions package, Caliber.Az writes.

“It has been confirmed that oil is flowing through Druzhba to Slovakia, and this is the result of targeted pressure that Slovak diplomacy, together with the Ministry of Economy, exerted on the Ukrainian side, as well as on the European Commission,” Blanár wrote.

The minister added that Slovakia would not stand in the way of the sanctions process as long as deliveries remain stable.

“I have instructed our Permanent Representative of Slovakia to the European Union in Brussels that, provided oil continues to flow without interruption and in the agreed volume, he should not block the written procedure for adopting the 20th package of sanctions at the EU level,” the minister said.

The Druzhba pipeline, a major Soviet-era energy corridor, transports Russian oil via Ukraine to several Central European states, including Hungary.

The pipeline had been out of operation since late January, following damage caused by a Russian drone strike in western Ukraine.

By Sabina Mammadli