Kyiv, Ukraine. President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said Ukraine has completed repairs to the Druzhba pipeline section damaged in a Russian strike and that the line is ready to resume carrying Russian oil to Hungary and Slovakia. He said Kyiv expects this to unlock a €90 billion EU loan after months of tensions.
Pipeline suspension and EU tensions
Flows through the Druzhba pipeline were suspended after a Russian attack on pipeline infrastructure in January, prompting outrage in EU members Hungary and Slovakia, which remain reliant on Russian oil imports. The suspension also led to tensions between Zelenskiy and EU officials, whom he accused of “blackmail” over pressure to promptly repair what Ukraine described as a severely damaged section.
Ukraine denies delaying repairs
Kyiv denied accusations by Budapest and Bratislava that it was deliberately delaying the repairs. Zelenskiy said on X that, “As agreed in communication with the European Union, Ukraine has completed repair work on the section of the Druzhba oil pipeline that was damaged by a Russian strike,” adding, “The pipeline can resume operation.”
Loan dispute and Hungary’s response
In his nightly video address, Zelenskiy linked the repairs to the EU loan, saying, “There can now be no grounds for blocking it.” He added, “The European Union asked Ukraine to repair the Druzhba oil pipeline, which the Russians had damaged. We have repaired it. We hope that the European Union will also implement the agreements.”
Hungary’s government threatened to cut energy aid to Ukraine in response to the suspension, and outgoing Prime Minister Viktor Orban vetoed the two-year EU loan after it was agreed upon by the European Council.
Repair timeline
Ukraine has said it carried out repairs as fast as possible under pressure from EU officials and had promised to finish them by the end of the month.
Do you expect the resumption of Druzhba flows to resolve the dispute over the EU loan?
