Deliveries via Friendship oil pipeline could resume by end of April, EU also to participate in repairs

The European Union has offered technical support and financial assistance to Ukraine toward repairing the Friendship oil pipeline, which Ukraine has accepted, according to a statement from the European Commission.

In a letter addressed to the European Commission and the European Council, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy wrote that despite “Russia’s continuous missile and drone strikes,” they are continuously working on restoring the pipeline and the surrounding infrastructure to fulfill their commitments to the EU. He wrote that during the winter, Russian attacks regularly targeted Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, and they have been working continuously to repair the damage so that supplies to Europe would not be interrupted. “The current damage is more serious because the main oil pipeline operates as a single continuous system, and the complete shutdown of the key pumping station disrupts it,” he wrote.

According to Zelenskyy, without the operation of the Brody pumping station, it is technically impossible to maintain the required operating pressure in the pipeline system and to ensure the safe transport of oil. He wrote that in order to resume crude oil transport as soon as possible, they are also working on an alternative technical solution, the work on which will be completed shortly.

“We expect that approximately within one and a half months, the Brody pumping station will restore technical capability. This will ensure a full restoration of the flows, of course, in the absence of any further attacks from Russia,” he wrote.

He added that, according to preliminary assessments, the oil tank damaged in the attack cannot be repaired, so Ukraine is considering the construction of an underground storage infrastructure as a long-term and more sustainable solution.

Zelenskyy thanked the European Union for its financial support to complete the repair work, as well as for the technical assistance and the funding needed to develop longer-term, sustainable solutions.

Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, and António Costa, President of the European Council wrote in a joint letter that “in the current context of high volatility of energy markets, the resumption of the transit of the oil through the territory of Ukraine becomes of greater importance to preserve market stability”. They also noted that the emergency assistance needed to restore the Druzhba oil pipeline will be financed “from European sources.”

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and the leaders of other EU countries are expected in Brussels on Thursday for the summit of the European Council. This will be the body's first meeting since the dispute between the Hungarian, Slovak, and Ukrainian governments over the Friendship oil pipeline erupted, so the issue is likely to be on the agenda.

In March 2022, the European Council unanimously agreed to phase out Russian fossil fuels, including oil – taking into account country-specific circumstances and the energy mix of member states. Last year, the body unanimously agreed on a €90 billion loan for Ukraine that would not impose a financial burden on Hungary, amongst others, but the Hungarian government subsequently blocked this due to the situation around the Friendship oil pipeline. The loan itself is to be provided by 24 countries, but the flexibility of the common budget would guarantee it, which would still require the consent of the Hungarian government.

Speaking at the annual opening conference of the Hungarian Chamber of Commerce and Industry on Tuesday, Minister of Foreign Affairs Péter Szijjártó said that legislation banning Russian crude oil from the European market will be presented in Brussels on April 15.

The European Commission had already proposed last year to phase out Russian oil and gas by 2027, but member state governments and the European Parliament (EP) excluded oil from the proposal and requested a separate proposal for it. However, they did not request a change to the 2027 deadline. The EP has since approved the phasing out of Russian liquefied and pipeline natural gas. Governments are also required to put national plans on the table outlining how they intend to meet the deadlines and diversify their gas supplies.