Slovakia Sides With Hungary Against Trump’s Russian Oil Phase-Out

Landlocked EU states have said alternatives are too costly and limited to replace the Druzhba pipeline, as Trump steps up pressure to cut Russian oil ties.

The receiver station of the Druzhba oil pipeline between Hungary and Russia, in Szazhalombatta, Hungary, on May 18, 2022. Bernadett Szabo/Reuters

Slovakia has pushed back on U.S. President Donald Trump’s demands to curb Russian oil imports, aligning itself with Hungary.

“We don’t have any other options which could be sustainable and also for the price to be reasonable,” Slovak Foreign Minister Juraj Blanar told Reuters during an interview on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly on Sept. 24.