Ukrainian authorities have authorized a delegation of EU experts to assess the condition of the Druzhba pipeline, through which oil supplies to Slovakia and Hungary were interrupted, according to Kiev, due to damage, French President Emmanuel Macron said at a press conference after a meeting of the EU Council.
“I thank Zelensky for his agreement to host an EU mission to Ukraine to provide technical assistance and finance repairs to the Druzhba pipeline,“ Macron said.
He also stressed that concerns expressed in the EU about energy security “should not call into question European support“ for the authorities in Kiev and “should not be used for personal gain“.
He was commenting on the decision of Hungary and Slovakia at the EU summit on March 19 not to approve a 90 billion euro loan for Ukraine due to Kiev's refusal to resume oil supplies.
Macron said that he personally “does not have a plan B“ for this financial package for Ukraine.
Russian oil has not been supplied through the “Druzhba“ pipeline to refineries in Hungary and Slovakia since January 27. The Hungarian government is confident that the pipeline is working and that Ukraine is not resuming transit solely for political reasons.
Budapest has taken retaliatory measures against Kiev. By blocking a “military loan“ from the EU worth 90 billion euros and warning that this would hinder any decisions from Brussels that would be beneficial to Ukrainians. Hungary refuses to approve and the 20th package of EU sanctions against Russia.