Ukraine has completed repairs on the Druzhba oil pipeline, which was damaged by Russian attacks in January, allowing it to resume operations. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced that the pipeline is ready to restart, a move expected to unblock a €90bn EU loan that had been stalled by Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orbán.
Key Takeaways
Ukraine has completed repairs on the Druzhba oil pipeline, damaged by Russian attacks in January, and resumed operations. This move is expected to unblock a €90bn EU loan that had been stalled by Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán. The loan, crucial for Ukraine's war efforts against Russia, covers two-thirds of its financing needs for 2026 and 2027.
The Druzhba pipeline carries Russian oil to Hungary and Slovakia. The suspension of flows after the Russian attack sparked tensions between Ukraine and EU officials, with Zelenskyy accusing them of 'blackmail' over pressure to repair the damaged section quickly. Kyiv denied accusations from Budapest and Bratislava that it was deliberately delaying repairs.
The €90bn loan, agreed upon by all EU member states in December 2023, is crucial for Ukraine's war efforts against Russia. The first disbursement is expected at the end of May or early June. European Economic Commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis noted that Hungary's outgoing Prime Minister Viktor Orbán had blocked the loan but mentioned that his successor, Peter Magyar, has indicated he would not continue this blockade.
The EU loan covers around two-thirds of Ukraine's financing needs for 2026 and 2027. The remaining one-third is expected to be provided by other countries supporting Ukraine, including Canada, Japan, Britain, Norway, and others. Zelenskyy has repeatedly called on Europe to diversify energy supplies and not resume flows via Druzhba from Russia.
European Union countries are set to move forward with unlocking the €90bn loan for Ukraine as Viktor Orbán exits power in Hungary. Peter Magyar, who won a sweeping electoral mandate, has promised smoother relations with Brussels and criticized Orbán for bowing to Russian influence. Orbán stated that Hungary would lift its objections to the loan once oil deliveries are restored via the Druzhba pipeline.
Emmanuel Macron, the French president, expressed optimism about the progress and implementation of the EU loan following Orbán's departure. Additionally, Germany summoned the Russian ambassador over direct threats from Russia against targets in Germany, which were seen as an attempt to undermine support for Ukraine. Russia's defense ministry had previously threatened German firms supplying unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) for Ukraine.
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