Ukraine Turns Down EU Inspection of Russian Oil Pipeline

(MENAFN) Ukraine has turned down a European Union proposal to conduct an inspection of the Soviet-era Druzhba pipeline, which carries Russian oil through Ukrainian territory into Central Europe, media reported Tuesday, citing diplomats and officials familiar with the matter.

Budapest and Bratislava have leveled accusations at Kyiv, alleging that Ukraine is intentionally disrupting oil transit through the Druzhba pipeline. Ukraine, however, maintains that Russian strikes in January caused the damage responsible for the disruption.

According to the FT, pro-Ukrainian EU member states and the European Commission have since urged Kyiv to permit an on-site visit as a show of good faith toward restoring oil flows. The report noted that European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President António Costa personally sought pipeline access for inspection purposes last week — only to be refused.

One source cited by media warned that by turning away inspectors, Ukraine handed Hungary a pretext to veto a planned $106 billion emergency loan for Ukraine, as well as the EU's 20th sanctions package targeting Russia — effectively scoring an "own goal."

In an X post published Tuesday, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said he had written to von der Leyen urging enforcement of the EU-Ukraine Association Agreement, which he said "obliges Ukraine to allow oil shipments to Hungary."

Orbán went further, stating: "As confirmed by recently published satellite evidence, there is no technical or operational reason preventing the pipeline from reverting to normal operations immediately."

The Hungarian leader added that Hungary and Slovakia had put forward a "fact-finding mission" to inspect the pipeline, but that their "efforts were rejected."

Tensions between the two countries are not new. In August, Budapest imposed sanctions on Ukraine's top drone commander Robert Brovdi following attacks on sections of the Druzhba pipeline inside Russia. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has separately urged Hungary to end its energy purchases from Moscow.

Meanwhile, media reported Tuesday that several EU member states — among them France and Germany — are pushing back against fast-tracking Ukraine's EU accession bid, pointing to concerns over what they described as "rampant corruption."

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