Speaking to reporters on February 25, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that the repair of the Druzhba pipeline - the lifeline transporting Russian oil to Eastern Europe - could not be completed as quickly as the European Union (EU) expected.
Russian missile and drone attacks have seriously destroyed pipeline sections connecting the port of Odessa with the Druzhba oil pipeline system, making the restoration extremely complex and dangerous for the technical team.
The disruption of oil supplies to Hungary and Slovakia has lasted since January 27, after an important equipment of the pipeline in western Ukraine was hit by fire.
While Hungary and Slovakia accuse Ukraine of deliberately delaying repairs to put political pressure, Zelensky affirmed that the Russian military is still continuing to target energy facilities.
Previously, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen urged Ukraine to accelerate progress to ensure energy security for the region, but Kiev said that the safety of workers is a top priority.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban strongly criticized this move and called it a politically motivated "oil blockade". Mr. Orban threatened to stop emergency power supplies to Ukraine if oil flows are not soon restored to circulation.
In response, Ukraine sent a document to the EU affirming that Russia must bear full responsibility for this disruption. Kiev emphasized that maintaining Russian oil supplies helps Moscow earn billions of USD each year to fund military operations, and neighboring countries should ask the Kremlin to implement a substantial energy ceasefire.
Tensions escalated as the Ukrainian energy corporation Naftogaz reported that it had just suffered 60 more attacks by Russian drones on gas storage facilities and production facilities in the Kharkiv and Chernihiv regions.
Although US President Donald Trump once proposed a short-term energy ceasefire, actual developments show that airstrikes are still taking place non-stop.
Hungary and Slovakia's continued dependence on cheap oil from Russia is creating deep rifts within the EU regarding policy towards the conflict in Ukraine.
