Suspension of deliveries via Druzhba oil pipeline not based on political reasons, EC says

No oil has been delivered to Hungary and Slovakia via the Druzhba oil pipeline since it was hit by a Russian airstrike near Brody, Ukraine on January 27. Due to the shutdown of the pipeline, the Hungarian government blocked the adoption of new EU sanctions against Russia, which was originally planned for Tuesday, the fourth anniversary of the start of the Russian invasion, as well as the €90 billion loan for Ukraine which had been agreed upon by EU heads of state and government in December.

Meanwhile, the shutdown led to political squabbling between the Hungarian and Ukrainian governments, with Slovakia also getting involved. Péter Szijjártó, Hungary's Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade claims that the Ukrainians are not making enough effort to fix the problem.

The European Commission's spokesperson on energy, Anna-Kaisa Itkonen also addressed the condition of the oil pipeline and the accusations made by the Hungarian and Slovak governments at a press conference on Tuesday, Portfolio reported.

She said that the European Commission is in constant contact with the member states concerned and the Ukrainian authorities on the subject of the oil pipeline. Based on the information available, repairs to the Ukrainian section of the pipeline have not yet been completed, and work is ongoing, but is subject to the security situation given the regular Russian attacks.

The spokesperson also responded to the suggestion made by Hungary and Slovakia, namely that there was a political decision behind the delay in deliveries. Itkonen said that the Commission was relying on information relating to technical and safety considerations, and that based on this information, the reason for the disruption was an attack on infrastructure and the difficulty of carrying out repairs. The spokesperson added that the Ukrainian side also proposed alternative transport routes, including the transport of non-Russian crude oil via the Odessa-Brody pipeline, which the Commission took note of.

According to Portfolio, it was also noted at the press conference that the European Commission does not wish to intervene in bilateral political disputes, but expects all member states to cooperate loyally and respect EU decisions. The spokesperson stressed that the EU's current priority is to ensure that financial and energy support for Ukraine continues uninterrupted, while the energy security of member states remains guaranteed.

On Monday, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán sent a letter to European Council President António Costa, reiterating the Hungarian government's previous position. According to the letter, "there are no technical obstacles to resuming oil deliveries," and all that is needed is "a political decision by Ukraine." On Tuesday, János Bóka, Hungary's Minister for EU Affairs claimed that the pipeline has been operational since mid-February and that the lack of deliveries constitutes a violation of the association agreement between the EU and Ukraine. Earlier, Péter Szijjártó, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, called it a "big lie" that the pipeline had even been attacked by Russia.

It was announced yesterday that Ukraine had postponed the resumption of oil deliveries via the Druzhba pipeline by one more day, until February 26.Transpetrol, the operator of the Slovak pipeline system was also notified of this, but the Slovak Ministry of Economy said they had not received an explanation for the latest delay.