EU Condemns Ukraine’s Postponing Druzhba Oil Pipeline

(MENAFN) Reports indicate that EU diplomats have described Ukraine’s nearly two-week delay in allowing an EU inspection of the Druzhba oil pipeline as “not smart,” according to unnamed sources. Kiev had previously agreed to let EU experts examine the pipeline for alleged damage.

The Soviet-era Druzhba pipeline transports Russian crude through Ukrainian territory to Hungary and Slovakia. Ukraine claims the pipeline was damaged by Russian strikes, a claim Moscow denies. Budapest has also rejected Kiev’s explanation, suggesting the flow was deliberately halted for political reasons.

Earlier in March, European Council President Antonio Costa and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen confirmed that Ukraine would permit an EU-funded inspection. However, according to reports, the inspection team has been waiting in Ukraine for weeks without clearance to access the site.

“We don’t have a clear picture of what the Ukrainian play here is,” one EU diplomat said. Other sources called Kiev’s actions “unclear” and “not smart.”

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