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President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the halt of oil supplies to Hungary via the Druzhba pipeline was caused by a Russian strike, and if Budapest wants deliveries restored it should negotiate with Vladimir Putin about an energy ceasefire.
“First of all, the pipeline was destroyed by Russia. So if Viktor Orban wants to block something — financial aid — he should do it to Russia, not Ukraine. We are not the reason this pipeline was damaged,” Zelenskyy told journalists, commenting on Hungary’s veto of an EU loan for Ukraine.
He added that this was not the first time the Druzhba pipeline had been damaged and likely would not be the last. According to Zelenskyy, Ukraine has satellite images confirming a Russian strike on the infrastructure. He also accused Russia of carrying out repeated attacks on repair crews after initial strikes on energy facilities, causing injuries and risking lives.
Meanwhile, European Council President Antonio Costa said the EU loan and the pipeline shutdown are unrelated. He noted Ukraine will soon assess how long repairs may take and stressed that alternative supply routes to Hungary and Slovakia exist via the Adriatic pipeline. Costa also warned that Hungary’s actions violate EU principles of sincere cooperation and urged Budapest to comply.
Hungary and Slovakia stopped receiving Russian oil through Druzhba after the late-January strike. Since then, both governments have pressured Ukraine, claiming the pipeline has not been restored for political reasons. Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto recently said Budapest would block a €90 billion EU loan for Ukraine until the pipeline is repaired.
