Euractiv quoted an EU diplomat as saying: "We do not have a clear picture of Ukraine's calculations on this issue".
Some other diplomats believe that Kiev's efforts to prevent the inspection of this oil pipeline are "unwise" and "unclear". According to Euractiv, an EU delegation coordinated by the European Commission has been present in Ukraine for weeks, waiting for Kiev to allow access to the territory to inspect the damaged pipeline.
If Druzhba is reopened, all parties benefit" - a diplomat noted.
Ukraine has stopped the transit of Russian oil to Slovakia and Hungary since January 27. The Slovak government has declared a state of emergency related to oil supplies. By March 28, the Slovak Prime Minister threatened to block new EU sanctions against Russia if oil supplies through the Druzhba pipeline have not been restored.
Previously, on March 19, the European Commission sent a delegation to Ukraine to inspect the pipeline, but experts from Hungary and Slovakia were not allowed to participate.
In developments related to Druzhba, on March 31, Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico said that the European Commission should stop politicizing the Druzhba pipeline issue.
I want to ask why they don't reopen the Druzhba pipeline? That's unreasonable, because we have a simple way to ensure adequate oil supplies for Europe. This oil will help stabilize the situation not only in Slovakia and Hungary, the countries most heavily affected by supply disruptions, but also throughout Central Europe. I once again call on the European Commission to end the political games" - Mr. Fico said after consultations between the Slovak and Czech governments.
The head of the Slovak government also called on the European Commission to "stop pretending to be powerless" in persuading Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to allow the expert group to access the Druzhba pipeline to restore the operation of the pipeline.
Mr. Fico said that the European Commission "should not prioritize the interests of non-EU member states".
According to him, the Slovak-Czech intergovernmental consultations have particularly focused on energy security issues in Central Europe. He also emphasized the need to maintain peace and combat illegal immigration.
