Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said yesterday that repairs to the Druzhba pipeline, which carries Russian oil to Hungary and Slovakia, have been completed and the pipeline is ready to resume operations.
The section of the pipeline running through Ukrainian territory had been damaged by Russian attacks, forcing a suspension of deliveries.
Zelensky also said he believed the obstacle to the European Union’s €90 billion loan for Ukraine would now be cleared once pipeline operations resume.
Approval of the loan had required the support of all EU member states, but it has been delayed for months because of a veto by Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán.
Orbán, who recently suffered a major defeat in Hungary’s parliamentary election, is expected to soon leave office.
“There is now no reason for this to be blocked,” Zelensky said of the loan.
After meeting with foreign ministers of EU member states in Luxembourg yesterday, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said she hoped a positive decision on the loan would be reached within 24 hours.
According to sources, oil deliveries through the Druzhba pipeline are expected to resume on Wednesday.
Zelensky has repeatedly urged European countries to diversify their energy supplies and stop importing Russian oil through the Druzhba pipeline.
“At present, no one can guarantee that Russia will not attack the pipeline infrastructure again,” he warned recently.
The EU’s €90 billion long-term loan is important not only for supplying weapons to Ukraine’s army, but also for helping cover the country’s budget deficit.
Orbán, described as Moscow’s closest ally in the European Union, has obstructed the loan for months.
During his election campaign, he accused the Ukrainian side of deliberately damaging the Druzhba pipeline.
Source: Associated Press
