Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced on the 21st of April that Ukrainians have completed repairs to the Druzhba oil pipeline damaged by Russian attacks, Politico reports.
In a post on the X, Zelensky wrote that, in accordance with an agreement with the European Union, Ukraine has completed repairs to the damaged section of the Druzhba, and the pipeline is back in service. He stressed that the work was linked to a 90 billion euros loan that has already been approved by the European Council.
After oil supplies to Hungary were cut off following a Russian attack on the pipeline in January, Druzhba became a hotbed of debate in Ukrainian-Hungarian relations. Budapest, which gets most of its oil from Russia, accused Kyiv of deliberately delaying repairs and used its veto power to block a European Union loan to Ukraine, which the bloc’s leaders agreed to in December.
Zelensky’s statement paves the way for Hungary to finally lift its veto on the loan,
which is intended to support Ukraine’s war-torn economy and help it resist a full-scale Russian invasion. Outgoing Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said on the 19th of April that he would lift the veto once the pipeline was back in service.
European Council President Antonio Costa thanked Zelensky for keeping his promises. Zelensky warned, however, that there was no guarantee that the Russians would not attack the pipeline and adjacent infrastructure again.
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