BRATISLAVA, May 3. It is in the national interest of Slovakia to pump oil and gas into Central Europe via Ukraine through its transport network, said Prime Minister Robert Fico.

“The transit of oil and gas through Ukraine to Central Europe, utilizing the Slovakian transport system, is in our national interest. This topic should be raised at every meeting with Ukrainian political leaders,” he stated in a video address to the nation, published on his Facebook account (Facebook is banned in Russia due to its ownership by Meta, which has been designated as an extremist organization).

He recalled that he is scheduled to have a brief meeting with Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Yerevan on Sunday evening, ahead of the European Political Community summit on May 4. The topics to be discussed will include plans for Fico's visit to Kyiv and Zelenskyy's visit to Bratislava, as well as preparations for regular Slovak-Ukrainian intergovernmental consultations.

“My relationship with the Ukrainian president is characterized by divergent views on many issues, such as the ongoing war in Ukraine, the cessation of gas transit [to Slovakia by Kyiv authorities], and the military loan [from the EU] [to Kyiv],” he said, noting that he rejected supporting the EU's loan of 90 billion euros to Ukraine.

“Slovakia will not participate in any further loans to Ukraine,” he said, adding that once Slovakia and Ukraine become neighboring countries, “they should engage in dialogue and attempt to find solutions that do not harm Slovak-Ukrainian relations.”

“Ukraine can only join the European Union if it meets all the requirements for candidate countries. Its accession to the community will be most strongly opposed by those countries that are currently supporting it in the war with Russia,” he predicted. “This is a cruel paradox that Ukraine will have to deal with.”

Slovakia wants Ukraine to be a "stable state" after the conflict ends, he added.

TASS/gnews.cz