A delegation from Hungary is to investigate the failure of the Druzhba pipeline. Ukraine responds
“The government has appointed a delegation to conduct a fact-finding mission regarding the Druzhba pipeline. Our task is to assess the condition of the pipeline and create conditions for its restart,” Czepek said in a statement published on Facebook, quoted by Reuters. He added that Slovakia will also take part in the reconnaissance mission.
The spokesman for Ukrainian diplomacy, Heorhiy Tychy, reacted to the case. “We know that this morning a group of Hungarian citizens entered the territory of Ukraine under general rules applicable to all citizens of Schengen countries benefiting from visa-free travel. Any person can enter Ukraine from Schengen countries in this way for tourist purposes,” he pointed out.
“On the territory of Ukraine, this group of people has no official status or scheduled official meetings, so it is definitely incorrect to call them a delegation,” he stressed.
Budapest wants to resume gas supplies through Ukraine and calls on the EU to lift sanctions from Russia in the face of rising energy prices.
“Friendship” pipeline failure
In late January, the Druzhba pipeline, carrying Russian oil to Hungary and Slovakia via Ukraine, was damaged in a Russian attack. The authorities in Kiev assure that the oil pipeline is being repaired. However, Viktor Orban's government maintains that the Ukrainian authorities are deliberately suspending the resumption of transit and calls these actions “blackmail”.
Orban appealed on Monday to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen to lift energy sanctions imposed on Russia after a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, due to rising energy prices following the US and Israeli attack on Iran.
The Hungarian authorities announced the blocking of the EUR 90 billion EU loan for Ukraine and blocked the adoption of the 20th package of sanctions against Russia. They also banned the export of crude oil and certain fuels and allowed the use of part of the reserves, and announced the introduction of price limits to protect individual consumers and companies from the effects of rising oil prices on global markets.
