Viktor Orbán is the winner of the EU summit in Brussels on sanctions against Russia, because he managed to arrange the exemption for Russian crude oil coming through the Friendship pipeline, declared former Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico, the president of the strongest opposition party in the Bratislava parliament, Irány (Smer-SD). speaking to the Slovak public service news agency TASR on Tuesday.
The former head of the Slovak government pointed out that the several-year exemption for Russian crude oil arriving via the pipeline will also apply to Slovakia and the Czech Republic in addition to Hungary.
"It was Orbán, not Heger (current Slovak Prime Minister Eduard Heger), who arranged the exemption for Russian crude oil coming through the Friendship Pipeline for Slovakia as well," stressed Robert Fico. He added that Russia will "certainly feel" the sanctions on oil transported by tankers, although it will have the opportunity to sell the oil on alternative markets.
He pointed out: at the same time, in the case of Hungary, Slovakia and the Czech Republic, Viktor Orbán "fought very correctly" and thus ensured that the Friendship pipeline could continue to operate.
Speaking to the Slovak news agency, Robert Fico also said: Eduard Heger himself first wanted to convince the Hungarian Prime Minister at the meeting to accept the EU's original idea regarding sanctions. "Heger, who has no political power whatsoever, tried to convince a man whose position has been consistent from the beginning and has a strong mandate that Heger can't even dream of," noted Robert Fico.
MTI
Source: MTI/EPA/Martin Divisek
