Brussels officials said the European Union has offered to finance and provide technical help to Ukraine to repair a damaged stretch of the Druzhba oil pipeline, aiming to persuade Hungary to drop its veto on a major EU aid package for Ukraine.
Deliveries of Russian crude to Hungary and Slovakia were halted in January after damage to the pipeline that crosses Ukrainian territory. Ukrainian authorities have blamed the damage on Russian drone strikes; Hungary’s prime minister, Viktor Orbán, has accused Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of deliberately blocking flows, a charge Zelenskyy denies.
Orbán is using the disruption to oil deliveries as grounds to veto a proposed 90-billion-euro EU loan designed to support Ukraine’s military and economic needs for two years, and he is also blocking a new round of EU sanctions on Russia. EU leaders have criticized Orbán for agreeing to the loan at a December summit and then reversing course, saying his move undermines the principle of sincere cooperation among member states.
In a joint statement, European Council President António Costa and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the EU has offered Ukraine both funding and immediate access to European technical experts to fix the pipeline. According to the leaders, Kyiv welcomed and accepted the assistance, and European teams can be deployed at once to begin repairs. Zelenskyy, who has opposed allowing Russian energy transit through Ukraine on security and revenue grounds, said Ukraine is making every effort to repair the damage and restore operations.
Orbán, however, has maintained his stance that Hungary will continue to block the loan until oil shipments resume, summing up his position with the line that without oil there will be no money. He has also suggested—without presenting evidence—that Ukraine may be timing the blockage to influence Hungary’s upcoming elections. Orbán has campaigned by portraying Zelenskyy as a threat to Hungary and has argued that his reelection is necessary for national security.
Ukraine is eager to receive the EU aid; officials have said getting an initial tranche next month is important. The EU moved largely away from Russian oil and gas after 2022, but landlocked Hungary and Slovakia were granted temporary exemptions to continue receiving Russian crude because they lack easy alternative suppliers. The EU’s offer to fund repairs is intended to resolve the immediate supply issue and remove the obstacle to approving the loan and additional sanctions.