Ukraine will resume the transit of Russian oil to Hungary through the Druzhba oil pipeline around noon on April 21, Hungarian Minister for European Affairs Janos Boka said.
Today, I am in Brussels, where I discussed, including restoring the operation of the Druzhba pipeline. The most likely scenario is that the Ukrainian side will announce the resumption of the pipeline operation around noon on April 21st" - he wrote on Facebook on April 20th.
The Hungarian Minister in charge of European Union Affairs added, "after receiving the notification, the operating unit will contact MOL".
Hungary's MOL Group is receiving Russian oil through the Druzhba pipeline for its oil refineries in Hungary and Slovakia.
Recently, according to an agreement with the government, this group has used oil from Hungary's national strategic reserves.
Russia's oil supply through the Druzhba oil pipeline has been disrupted since January 27.
Mr. Boka affirmed, "if Hungary does not block the EU's 90 billion euro loan to Ukraine, the oil supply through the Druzhba pipeline will never be restored".
Hungary's strategy has been effective: Ukraine runs out of money before we run out of oil," he added.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky informed in an interview broadcast on April 20 that the Druzhba oil pipeline will be restored to operation by the end of April. The interview appeared to have been filmed before broadcast, but the timing is still unclear.
Previously this month, Mr. Zelensky stated that the end of April would be the time the pipeline would resume operation.
Ukrainian state-owned energy company Naftogaz has declined to comment on when the Druzhba pipeline will resume operation.
