In the EU, there is disappointment that Ukraine did not allow a mission to the damaged pipeline <\/p>\n
Ukraine’s decision to deny the EU mission access to inspect the “Druzhba” pipeline, which supplies Russian oil to Hungary and Slovakia, has divided and disappointed some EU countries.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
This was reported by RBC-Ukraine, citing Euractiv.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Also read: <\/strong>The EU issued a demand to Ukraine regarding “Druzhba,” but received a refusal, – FT<\/p>\n “Foolish,” “mystery,” and “unclear” – these are the words European diplomats use to describe Kyiv’s obstruction of the team sent to inspect the damaged pipeline.<\/p>\n “We have no clear understanding of what Ukraine’s strategy is,” said one of the publication’s sources.<\/p>\n The EU inspection team, consisting of national experts and coordinated by the European Commission, has been in Ukraine for several weeks, awaiting Kyiv’s approval to visit the site of the recent attack on the vital energy pipeline.<\/p>\n So far, such permission has not been granted.<\/p>\n “If the ‘Druzhba’ pipeline is unblocked, all parties will benefit,” noted another EU diplomat, calling the delay a “mystery.”<\/p>\n “The EU wants to adopt another package of sanctions and put pressure on Russia, Ukraine needs credit, Hungary and Slovakia critically depend on oil supplies and are either working with reserves or setting dual prices. The only way out of this deadlock is to check the situation on the ground and find out what is really happening there,” explained the Euractiv source.<\/p>\n At the same time, other diplomats were more sympathetic to Ukraine.<\/p>\n “From a human perspective, it is understandable: why repair something that finances the military machine of the other side?” said one EU diplomat.<\/p>\n Other diplomats noted that “this is an absurd situation” and that Ukraine “is in a state of war.”<\/p>\n “We in the EU are moving away from Russian gas and oil. There are alternatives. Everything regarding ‘Druzhba’ should be considered in this context,” remarked a third diplomat.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n The situation around “Druzhba”<\/p>\n Recall that at the end of January, Russians struck the “Druzhba” pipeline. Due to the attack by the Russian Federation, the transit of Russian oil to Hungary and Slovakia was completely halted.<\/p>\n Instead of criticizing Moscow for the attack on “Druzhba,” Budapest and Bratislava accused Ukraine of delaying the restoration of the pipeline’s operation “for political reasons.”<\/p>\n The conflict escalated after Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban issued an ultimatum, blocking EU funding of 90 billion euros, demanding the resumption of Russian oil transit through “Druzhba.”<\/p>\n In response, the European Commission expressed its readiness to assist with the repair of the damaged section of the pipeline.<\/p>\n At the same time, the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry stated that it had no information about the EU mission to “Druzhba,” which was previously reported by the media.<\/p>\n On March 19, it became known that EU experts had arrived in Ukraine to inspect the pipeline that was damaged as a result of Russian shelling.<\/p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The EU is disappointed that Ukraine did not allow a mission to the damaged oil pipeline. Ukraine’s decision not to permit an EU mission to inspect the “Druzhba” pipeline, which supplies Russian oil to Hungary and Slovakia, has divided and disappointed some countries in the European Union.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":66356,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"magazine_newspaper_sidebar_layout":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[65],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-66791","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-society-en"],"yoast_head":"\n