Fico joins Orbán in demanding the EU lift Russian energy sanctions — a week before Hungary’s election that could end Orbán’s 16-year rule

Pro-Russian Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico called on the EU to lift sanctions on Russian energy and restore flows through the Druzhba pipeline after a phone call with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, Fico posted on Facebook on 4 April. The demand came as Ukraine's drone campaign has curtailed Russian oil exports, making the push to restore Moscow's revenues all the more urgent for the two leaders acting as Russia's most reliable advocates inside the EU.

Fico calls EU a "suicide ship," blames Zelenskyy

"The entire EU and especially the EC (the European Commission, — Ed.) in matters of energy security are starting to look like a suicide ship," Fico claimed in his Facebook post. 

He called for Brussels to immediately resume dialogue with Russia and create the "political and legal environment" for EU member states to draw oil and gas from every available direction, Russia included — scrapping what he termed "senseless sanctions prohibiting imports of gas and oil from Russia," restoring Druzhba pipeline flows, and launching a separate EU initiative to end Russia's war in Ukraine.

In the same post, Fico referred to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy as "malicious" — framing Kyiv as a cause of Europe's energy difficulties alongside Washington's Iran war, rather than the victim of the Russian invasion driving the crisis.

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Fico: “Slovakia is ready to take over the baton from Hungary, if necessary” — on blocking EU’s Ukraine loan and Russia sanctions

Orbán also made the same demand after the call, calling on Brussels to force Zelenskyy to immediately "reopen" the damaged Druzhba pipeline and to reject and discard Europe's plans to phase out Russian energy.

Timing: elections, Baltic oil strikes, and Russia's Iran windfall

The renewed lobbying push comes one week before Hungary's 12 April parliamentary elections, which could end Orbán's 16-year rule. Independent polls show Magyar's Tisza party running nearly 20 points ahead of Fidesz, and Orbán has made the pipeline dispute a campaign centerpiece. Fico has already signaled Slovakia is "ready to take over the baton" from Hungary if Orbán loses, ensuring the campaign against Ukraine in the EU continues regardless of the election outcome.

The Druzhba pipeline has been out of service since a Russian drone strike reportedly damaged the Brody pumping station in Ukraine's Lviv Oblast on 27 January. Zelenskyy said on 24 February that repairing the Druzhba pipeline made no sense amid Russia's repeated attacks, and told Orbán to negotiate an "energy ceasefire" with Russian ruler Putin instead. Fico has previously claimed he doesn't believe that the pipeline is damaged.

The push also coincides with elevated Russian oil revenues. The US-Israel military operation against Iran, launched in late February, prompted Tehran to block the Hormuz Strait — through which around 20% of the world's oil passes — driving a sharp global price surge. The US partially lifted sanctions on Russia to stabilize prices. As EP reported, Russia's daily oil export revenues reached $270 million in March — twice the January level. Zelenskyy has repeatedly warned Washington that Russia is feeding intelligence to Iran and supplies drones, as higher oil prices translate directly into money for its war against Ukraine.

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Ust-Luga burning again: Ukraine is now hitting this Russian oil port every other day — the shadow fleet tankers that load here keep waiting offshore

At the same time, Ukraine's sustained drone campaign has curtailed Russian Baltic oil exports through Primorsk and Ust-Luga, which Estonian intelligence estimated had cut 40-50% of Russia's Baltic export capacity. For now, both ports are reportedly shut down entirely. 

As Ukraine bleeds Russian oil revenues from the outside, Orbán and Fico are pressing the EU to restore them from within.