Hungary and Slovakia said they were receiving Russian oil on Thursday after Ukraine repaired the Druzhba pipeline which was damaged in a Russian attack in January.
The pipeline has been at the centre of a standoff between Ukraine, the European Union, Hungary and Slovakia, which still import Russian oil via the pipeline despite Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
Kyiv said Wednesday Ukraine had restarted pumping oil to Hungary and Slovakia after completing repairs, as the EU gave the green light to unblock a 90-billion-euro ($106 billion) loan for Kyiv, held up by Hungary’s outgoing nationalist leader Viktor Orban.
“The oil flow into Slovakia via the Druzhba pipeline resumed at 2:00 this morning (midnight GMT),” Slovakia’s Economy Minister Denisa Sakova said on Facebook.
“At present, oil is being received in line with the agreed plan,” she added.
Hungary’s refinery MOL, which also controls Slovakia’s top refinery Slovnaft, said it had “received crude oil at the Fenyeslitke (Hungary) and Budkovce (Slovakia) pumping stations earlier today”.
“Crude oil deliveries via the Druzhba pipeline system to Hungary and Slovakia have thus resumed after a hiatus of nearly three months,” it added in a statement.
Slovakia’s Prime Minister Robert Fico hailed the reopening of the pipeline as “good news”.
But the Kremlin-friendly premier told reporters he did not believe Druzhba was really damaged.
Fico has repeatedly challenged Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky over the pipeline while Zelensky has made no secret of his opposition to the fact that some EU members still buy Russian oil and gas, a key source of revenue for Moscow to fund its invasion.
“You know what I’m talking about. The Druzhba pipeline was used as a tool in the geopolitical struggle that is currently under way,” said Fico.
Orban had blocked the multibillion-euro loan for Ukraine as leverage to pressure Kyiv to resume oil deliveries, accusing it of stalling repairs.
His defeat in elections this month was seen as paving the way for the money to be unlocked.
EU countries also gave the preliminary go-ahead to a fresh round of sanctions on Russia that had been stalled by both Hungary and Slovakia over the pipeline row.
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