Russia Blasts EU Over “Ideologically Driven” Energy Decisions

(MENAFN) The European Union is confronting the mounting consequences of its decision to cut energy ties with Russia, as war in the Middle East sends prices surging and cracks emerge within the bloc over a critical oil pipeline — according to a senior Russian presidential envoy.

Kirill Dmitriev, head of Russia's sovereign wealth fund and a Kremlin envoy, used a Tuesday post on X to lambaste Brussels for what he characterized as politically motivated energy policy that has left the bloc dangerously exposed. "A major shift in the EU's position as they begin to realize how their disastrous energy decisions created enormous risks, which are now materializing due to the conflict in Iran," he wrote, dismissing the sanctions-driven energy pivot as "ideologically driven economic decisions."

Dmitriev's remarks came in direct response to a media report revealing that even staunchly pro-Ukraine EU governments and the European Commission itself are now leaning on Kyiv to restore the Druzhba pipeline — the Soviet-era conduit that once carried Russian oil through Ukraine into Central Europe before going dark in January. Kyiv has attributed the outage to damage from Russian strikes; Moscow has denied any involvement.

According to media, Brussels has significantly escalated pressure on Kyiv, seeking to dispatch its own inspectors to assess the stricken pipeline and verify that restoration efforts are underway. The report added that European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President Antonio Costa personally requested pipeline access during a late February visit to Kyiv — and were turned away.

The standoff has sharpened considerably as energy markets reel from US and Israeli military strikes on Iran, which have driven prices sharply higher and exposed the vulnerability of Europe's maritime supply routes.

Into that volatile environment stepped Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, who dispatched a formal letter to the European Commission demanding enforcement of existing transit agreements requiring Ukraine to keep Russian oil flowing through the Druzhba corridor. Hungary and Slovakia — both heavily reliant on the pipeline — backed their demands with satellite intelligence they say proves the infrastructure is entirely intact and operational.

Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto went further, alleging deliberate obstruction at the highest level. He said satellite images "clearly show" Ukraine's Vladimir Zelensky is "lying," adding there is no technical reason to block the pipeline. With Middle East hostilities already disrupting maritime oil routes, Szijjarto warned, shutting down a fully functional overland pipeline amounts to nothing less than an economic attack on Hungary.

The escalating row lays bare a deepening fault line within the EU — between solidarity with Ukraine and the hard economic realities now pressing in from two directions at once.

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