Zelenskyy: Controversial Oil Pipeline Repaired and Back in Use

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced on Tuesday that the Druzhba oil pipeline, which transports Russian oil to Hungary and Slovakia, has been repaired and is operational again. The pipeline was damaged in a Russian attack in January, according to Zelenskyy, who said Ukraine had completed the necessary repair work. The Druzhba pipeline carries oil from Russia through Belarus and Ukraine to Central European countries. Hungary and Slovakia remain the only EU members temporarily exempt from the bloc’s ban on Russian oil imports. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán had previously accused Ukraine of blocking the resumption of oil flows through the pipeline for political reasons, a claim Kyiv denied. Orbán had linked his support for a proposed €90 billion EU loan to Ukraine with the restoration of oil shipments, stating that Hungary would not obstruct the loan’s approval once flows resumed. Zelenskyy’s announcement came a day after EU officials indicated they expected a resolution to the dispute, with Expansion Commissioner Marta Kos suggesting a solution could emerge as early as Wednesday.