EU presses Ukraine to fast-track Druzhba pipeline repairs as oil crunch looms

The European Commission has pressed Ukraine to provide a timeline for repairing a damaged Russian oil pipeline, as Croatia rejected requests to help deliver Russian crude to Hungary and Slovakia, raising concerns over regional fuel supplies.

Kyiv’s foreign ministry said a Russian attack on a section of the Druzhba pipeline on Ukrainian territory halted oil flows to Hungary and Slovakia on January 27, disrupting supplies to both landlocked EU member states, Caliber.Az reports per British media.

Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico accused Ukraine over the weekend of deliberately delaying the restart of the pipeline in an attempt to pressure Hungary to abandon its opposition to Ukraine’s bid to join the European Union.

Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó said he believed Ukraine had not resumed oil transit for political reasons.

Facing fears of an immediate fuel shortage, Hungary and Slovakia sought assistance from Croatia to transport Russian oil through alternative routes. However, Croatian Economy Minister Ante Šušnjar rejected the proposal.

"A barrel bought from Russia may appear cheaper to some countries, but helps fund war and attacks on Ukrainian people," Susnjar said in a post on X.

"There are no technical excuses left for staying tied to Russian crude for any EU country," he said.

The European Commission said it sees no immediate risk to oil supply security in Hungary or Slovakia, noting both countries maintain sufficient reserves. A spokesperson added that the commission remains in contact with Ukraine regarding the repair timeline for the damaged pipeline.

By Aghakazim Guliyev