EU Demands Inspection of Damaged 'Druzhba' Pipeline as Ukraine Denies Access to Hungary and Slovakia

The Druzhba Pipeline Standoff

According to ХВИЛЯ: The European Union is pressing Ukraine to permit an independent inspection of the damaged 'Druzhba' oil pipeline. Hungary and Slovakia accuse Ukraine of deliberately blocking shipments, a claim that has led the EU to withhold financial aid and Slovakia to suspend its energy assistance. Ukraine cites significant damage from a Russian attack and ongoing security risks as reasons for denying access to the critical infrastructure.

The Druzhba pipeline is a key conduit for Russian oil to Hungary and Slovakia. A Russian airstrike in January ignited a fire in a storage tank containing 75,000 cubic meters of oil at Europe's largest oil depot. The blaze took ten days to extinguish. The attack damaged multiple pieces of equipment, power cables, transformers, and the leak detection system responsible for pipeline integrity.

Serhiy Koretskyi: 'Numerous units of equipment, power cables, transformers, and the leak detection system responsible for sealing the pipelines were damaged.'

Demands and Repercussions

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President António Costa have personally requested that Ukraine grant access to the pipeline for a damage assessment. Ukraine has refused on security grounds, a move Hungary and Slovakia interpret as intentional obstruction.

• Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has blocked a 90-billion-euro EU aid package for Ukraine, demanding the Druzhba pipeline's operation be restored.
• Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico declined an invitation from Volodymyr Zelenskyy to visit Kyiv for talks and announced a halt to Slovakia's energy aid to Ukraine.

A senior Ukrainian presidential official framed the dilemma, asking: 'Why should we repair a pipeline-during a war and without a ceasefire-that supplies oil from Russia to Russia's friends?' The dispute over inspecting the Druzhba pipeline remains unresolved, heightening tensions between Ukraine and its neighbors. This impasse underscores the complex geopolitical challenges of maintaining energy infrastructure that benefits Russia's allies while Ukraine is under direct attack.

The situation highlights the strained relations between Ukraine and some EU member states amid the ongoing war with Russia. The EU's inspection demand and the aid blockades by Hungary and Slovakia point to rising regional friction. Ukraine's efforts to safeguard its security and national interests complicate the search for a compromise. Resolving this issue could significantly impact European energy stability and the economic relations between Ukraine and its neighboring countries.