For oil transfers from Russia to Hungary and Slovakia: EU encourages Ukraine to resume “Druzhba” pipeline
18 February 09:32
A spokeswoman for the European Commission confirmed that Brussels had been in contact with Ukraine regarding the Druzhba oil pipeline, damage to which at the end of January halted the flow of Russian oil to Hungary and Slovakia, Komersant reports , citing Radio Liberty.
“We are in contact with Ukraine regarding the timing of repairs to the Druzhba oil pipeline and how quickly it can be restarted,” Anna-Kaisa Itkonen told reporters in Brussels.
She added that the EU executive body is ready to convene an emergency coordination group with the relevant parties to discuss alternative fuel supply routes.
Itkonen also said that “there are no short-term risks to security of supply for Hungary and Slovakia” as they have 90 days’ worth of reserves.
The halt in Russian oil supplies via pipeline has caused a new escalation of tensions between Ukraine and EU member states Hungary and Slovakia.
Although Kyiv claimed that the disruptions, which began on January 27, were caused by a Russian drone strike, Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico said on February 15 that Ukraine had allegedly delayed the resumption of oil flows in order to force Hungary to lift its veto on Ukraine’s membership in the European Union. Fico called it “political blackmail.”
Although the European Union has imposed a ban on Russian oil imports via pipelines due to the Kremlin’s war in Ukraine, Hungary and Slovakia, which have no access to the sea, have been granted exemptions from these sanctions.
At the same time, the Bulgarian Center for the Study of Democracy (CSD) released a report on February 16 stating that Hungary does not need Russian oil because it has access to other sources.
“There are no technical or economic reasons to continue the exemption from sanctions on Russian oil in Central Europe. Hungary’s continued dependence is a political choice that weakens EU unity and undermines confidence in the sanctions regime. A gradual phase-out of Russian crude oil by the end of 2026 is both desirable and necessary for Europe’s long-term energy security,” said Martin Vladimirov, director of the CSD’s Energy and Climate Program.
The day before, Hungary and Slovakia asked Croatia for help in obtaining Russian oil after supply disruptions through Ukraine.
Croatian Economy Minister Ante Šušnjara responded that Croatia had acted responsibly and transparently with regard to regional energy security and would do so again for Hungary and Slovakia, while fully respecting its Ukrainian allies.
On February 12, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sibiga published a photo of what he said was the burning of the Druzhba pipeline infrastructure, accusing Hungary of not commenting publicly on the incident for two weeks because its ally Russia was to blame.
Hungary remains dependent on Russian energy, which has drawn criticism from its allies in the European Union and NATO amid the EU’s plan to ban all Russian gas imports by the end of 2027. Hungary has challenged those plans in court.
Earlier, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, who maintains close ties with the Kremlin and has often criticized Europe for what he said was its “tough” stance on Russia over its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, said that Russian energy was “vital” for Hungary.
He added that Hungary’s landlocked geographical position limits its options and forces it to buy Russian oil exported via the Druzhba pipeline, which runs through Ukraine. Restricting access to Russian energy sources would have profound consequences for Hungarians, Orban said, noting that the issue was not about politics.
