Policy

Partial restart of the oil pipeline: Kyiv announces repair timeline

Ukraine plans to partially resume operations on the Druzhba oil pipeline by the end of April. This could affect not only the energy market but also negotiations with the EU—particularly with Hungary, which is blocking decisions crucial for Kyiv.

This was stated by President during a joint press conference with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz in Berlin, according to "Komersant Ukrainian".

What exactly did Zelenskyy promise?

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated in Berlin during a meeting with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz that repairs to the Druzhba oil pipeline will be completed by the end of April. The pipeline will not be fully restored, but enough to be operational. The restoration of the storage tanks will take longer.

This refers to a partial restart that will allow oil transit to resume.

What does “partial repair” mean?

According to the president:

• the system will be able to function at a basic level
• not all infrastructure will be ready
• full modernization is a long-term process

This is a compromise between launch speed and technical limitations.

Why this is important for the EU

The issue of reconstruction is closely linked to Hungary’s position, which:

• is blocking €90 billion in financial aid to Ukraine
• is delaying the 20th package of EU sanctions against Russia
• is holding up the opening of negotiations on Ukraine’s EU accession

In exchange, Budapest is demanding the resumption of transit through the “Druzhba” pipeline.

Energy as a Political Tool

The situation demonstrates how energy infrastructure becomes part of diplomatic bargaining:

• “Druzhba” is one of the key oil supply routes to Central Europe
• its restoration could unblock political decisions
• at the same time, it increases the dependence of certain EU countries on oil

What’s next

If repairs are completed on time, Hungary’s blockades may ease; if not, negotiations on aid to Ukraine could drag on. In parallel, the long process of fully restoring the infrastructure will continue

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