Russian oil flows thru repaired pipeline
BRATISLAVA (AFP) — Slovakia said it was receiving Russian oil on Thursday after Ukraine repaired the Druzhba pipeline which was damaged in a Russian attack in January.
The pipeline has been at the center of a standoff between Ukraine, the European Union as well as Hungary and Slovakia, which still import Russian oil via the pipeline despite Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
Kyiv said Wednesday Ukraine had restarted pumping oil to Hungary and Slovakia after completing repairs, as the EU gave the green light to unblock a 90-billion-euro ($106 billion) loan for Kyiv, held up by Hungary’s outgoing nationalist leader Viktor Orban.
“The oil flow into Slovakia via the Druzhba pipeline resumed at this morning (midnight GMT),” Slovakia’s Economy Minister Denisa Sakova said on Facebook.
“At present, oil is being received in line with the agreed plan,” she added.
Orban had blocked the multibillion-euro loan for Ukraine as leverage to pressure Kyiv to resume oil deliveries, accusing it of stalling repairs.
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EU countries also gave the preliminary go-ahead to a fresh round of sanctions on Russia that had been stalled by both Hungary and Slovakia over the pipeline row.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has made no secret of his opposition to the fact that some EU members still buy Russian oil and gas, a key source of revenue for Moscow to fund its invasion.
