The controversial Druzhba oil pipeline has been repaired and ready for use. This is what Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on the social media X.
The pipeline, which supplies Hungary and Slovakia with Russian oil, has been a point of contention between Ukraine and Hungary in particular. It runs through Ukraine and has been closed since January, when Ukraine said it was hit by a Russian drone attack.
- The pipeline can resume operations, Zelensky wrote on Tuesday.
The outgoing Hungarian Prime Minister, Viktor Orbán, has said several times that Hungary will lift its veto against a 90 billion euro EU loan to Ukraine when the oil again arrives in Hungary through the pipeline.
It was expected that the pipeline could soon be operational again. EU Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos told the European Parliament on Monday that she expected it to happen this week.
And on Tuesday, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said she expected "positive decisions" on Wednesday to lift the veto on the loan.
- We expect some positive decisions tomorrow on the 90 billion euro loan to Ukraine. Ukraine needs the money. It is extremely important in the current situation, Kaja Kallas said on Tuesday ahead of a meeting of foreign ministers in Luxembourg.
Also on the agenda for Tuesday's meeting is the 20th package of sanctions against Russia, which Orbán has long blocked.
Viktor Orbán - who lost power in parliamentary elections earlier this month - has accused Ukraine of blocking the resumption of Russian oil supplies via the Druzhba pipeline for political reasons. The pipeline runs from Russia through Belarus and Ukraine to Hungary and Slovakia.
The Ukrainian government has denied the allegations and stressed that the pipeline needed to be repaired after Russian air strikes in January.
/ritzau/
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