Hungary, Slovakia form team to inspect Druzhba pipeline

Hungary and Slovakia have agreed to form a joint committee to investigate damage to the Druzhba pipeline in Ukraine, calling on Kyiv to grant access and resume Russian oil flows.

The pipeline, the sole supply route for Russian oil to the two EU countries, has been out of action since January 27, forcing Budapest and Bratislava to tap strategic reserves and seek alternative sources, News.Az reports, citing Reuters.

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said in a Facebook video that Ukraine halted oil flows for political reasons. Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico joined Orban in proposing the investigative committee “to ascertain the state” of the pipeline.

Orban called on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy to provide the necessary conditions for the committee’s work.

Ukraine maintains that the Druzhba pipeline was damaged by a Russian drone strike and says repairs are ongoing, though Zelenskiy has cautioned that full restoration will not be quick.

While the outage has not threatened domestic supply, both countries have imported crude from Saudi Arabia, Norway, Kazakhstan, Libya, and Russia, coordinated through Hungarian oil company MOL, which also operates Slovakia’s Slovnaft.

Fico expressed concern that the European Commission may prioritize Ukraine’s interests over those of EU member states Hungary and Slovakia. He is scheduled to speak with Zelenskiy about the issue.

The dispute highlights longstanding tensions over Russian energy transiting Ukrainian territory and comes amid a broader political backdrop, with Orban framing the war as a central theme ahead of April elections.

 

News.Az 

By Aysel Mammadzada