Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's statement marked a new escalation in the controversy that has gone far beyond infrastructure repair, when it relates to the European Union's (EU) sanctions policy, financial support for Ukraine and energy security of Hungary and Slovakia.
Sharing with the press, Mr. Zelensky said that the incident cannot be narrowed down to a technical question about the repair of the Druzhba oil pipeline. The real question is whether Europe is willing to create conditions for Russian oil to continue to be sold on the market in the context of conflict.
The Ukrainian leader emphasized that he is under pressure to agree to restore the operation of Druzhba and questioned whether this is different from lifting sanctions against Russia.
The direct context of the controversy is that Russia's oil flow through Druzhba was interrupted from the end of January after the pipeline in Ukraine was damaged.
In early March, Mr. Zelensky said that restoring the technical operation of the Druzhba pipeline could take about 1.5-2 months. However, rebuilding the related storage facilities may take longer.
What has changed in recent days is the political context of this disruption. Hungary and Slovakia linked the Druzhba restoration issue with the EU's approximately 90 billion euro loan package for Ukraine.
For Budapest and Bratislava, this oil pipeline remains an important economic issue. Both countries remain dependent on Russian oil transported through the southern branch of Druzhba, which is exempted within the framework of EU sanctions.
The broader debate reflects deep tensions within the EU over sanctions against Russia's energy. The EU has extended sanctions against individuals and organizations involved in the Russia-Ukraine conflict until September 15, 2026, despite opposition from Hungary and Slovakia.
On March 9, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán called on the EU to temporarily suspend energy sanctions against Russia, saying that high energy prices are causing damage to the Hungarian economy.
Budapest simultaneously imposed a price ceiling on fuel and released fuel reserves amid growing concerns about supply issues.
Druzhba's continued suspension of operations further increases the pressure, especially when global oil prices also fluctuate due to instability in the Middle East.
While Druzhba stopped operating, refineries in Central Europe were forced to rely more on other shipping routes.
Hungary's energy corporation MOL has complained to the EU about Croatia's pipeline fees, showing that disrupting Russia's oil flow is creating secondary disputes in the bloc's energy market.
Zelensky's statement is considered important because it has placed the dispute in a clear political framework.
According to Kiev, the restoration of Druzhba is not only a technical repair, but also means reactivating a channel to bring Russian oil into the EU market. This could weaken the logic of sanctions aimed at limiting Russia's revenue.
The final result is still unclear. There is information that French President Emmanuel Macron is making efforts to separate the Druzhba pipeline issue from the EU's loan package for Ukraine, saying that the two issues should be handled independently.
This shows that some European leaders are seeking compromise solutions to avoid weakening financial support for Ukraine, while addressing concerns from Hungary and Slovakia.
