The Fort Worth Press - Ukrainian, Slovak leaders hold call amid energy spat

The call came as Hungary's Viktor Orban urged Zelensky to allow inspectors to visit a damaged pipeline in Ukraine that carries the Russian oil to try to get it restarted.

"The president is talking to the Prime Minister of Slovakia, Robert Fico," Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky's office said in a statement.

"The president is inviting him to Ukraine to discuss all the existing issues."

Fico later said he had "accepted this invitation", but would prefer a meeting in the European Union. He did not give a date for the visit.

He also said that during the call, "I had the distinct impression that Ukraine has no interest in restoring oil transit through its territory."

Slovakia and Hungary, which still rely on Russian energy imports, have accused Ukraine of delaying repairs to the damaged Druzhba pipeline -- which runs from Russia through Ukraine to the two countries.

Kyiv says the pipeline was shut down after being damaged during a Russian attack near the Ukrainian city of Brody on January 27.

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Fico, who along with Orban has kept close ties with the Kremlin since its 2022 invasion of Ukraine, has threatened Ukraine with reprisals over the halt in supplies.

Most recently, Zelensky has urged Orban -- who has also blasted Kyiv over the halt -- to appeal directly with Russian leader Vladimir Putin over the strikes on the oil facilities.

Orban said on Facebook on Friday he had set up a joint commission with Fico to "clarify the condition of the Druzhba pipeline."

"I call on President Zelensky to allow Hungarian and Slovak inspectors to enter and to restart the Druzhba oil pipeline," he added.

Fico complained of "President Zelensky's rejection of that sort of inspection", following "a negative opinion from the Ukrainian secret services".

Orban has been stalling the 90-billion-euro EU loan to the war-torn country and a new round of sanctions on Russia, demanding that Kyiv re-open the pipeline first.

The European Union said this week that neither Hungary nor Slovakia run the risk of a shortage of oil despite the interruption.

In response to a question from AFP on the four-year anniversary of Russia's invasion on Tuesday, Zelensky said repair crews working on the pipeline were being threatened by further Russian attacks.

T.Mason--TFWP