Oil and gas prices soar in the Middle East, Europe urges Ukraine to allow Russian oil transit.
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Soaring oil prices have worn Europe’s patience thin. The EU is once again pressing Ukraine to repair and reopen the damaged oil pipeline in order to resume the transit of Russian crude.
On Wednesday local time, citing five EU diplomats and officials, media reported that the EU is urging Ukraine to allow European representatives to access the damaged site of the Druzhba pipeline for independent inspection to promote the restoration of Russian oil transit to Hungary and Slovakia.
During recent visits to Kyiv, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President Charles Michel directly requested that Ukraine allow an independent European assessment of the Druzhba pipeline damage, but were refused by the Ukrainian side.
The Druzhba pipeline is a major network transporting Russian crude to Central and Eastern Europe, originating in Samara, southwestern Russia; the southern branch runs through Ukraine to the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Hungary. According to a Xinhua News Agency report from January, Ukraine claimed oil transport was interrupted from January 27 due to damage during Russian attacks. However, Hungary and Slovakia have rejected Ukraine’s explanation, accusing Ukraine of deliberately delaying restoration and demanding to send a fact-finding mission.
Despite protests from Hungary and demands from the EU, Ukrainian President Zelensky has stated repeatedly that repairing the Druzhba pipeline “won’t be quick.”
Meanwhile, with energy price volatility intensifying, Europe seems increasingly anxious.
The fuel market has already responded sharply to the impact from the Middle East. European benchmark diesel futures soared 34% in two days, with settlement prices rising to 1,009 USD/ton, while U.S. diesel futures jumped as much as 16% intraday. With low inventories in Europe and America, price fluctuations are transmitting into higher transport costs and inflation expectations.
A senior EU diplomat told the Financial Times: “We can’t judge whether there is damage or not. It’s not hard to prove—just document the evidence, show they’re working on repairs. But they haven’t done that.”
Hungary Ties Ukraine Aid Funding to Pipeline; Zelensky Responds
Reports indicate that Hungarian Prime Minister Orban has used the dispute as grounds to delay approving an EU aid/loan package for Ukraine worth about 90 billion euros, and has proposed that Hungary and Slovakia jointly send an inspection mission. Orban also claims to hold satellite evidence suggesting the pipeline is “not too damaged to operate,” and said he would maintain “countermeasures” until Ukraine reopens the transit.
The Financial Times noted that the satellite images it reviewed do show that the pipeline facilities were hit, but it’s hard to assess the degree of damage from images alone.
Ukrainian President Zelensky, for his part, pointed to Hungary’s domestic politics: “Right now you are blocking 90 billion euros… This is money we need to buy weapons, money to survive.”
Ukrainian Side Emphasizes “Repair Cost and Wartime Risk” and Reveals Damage Details
A senior Ukrainian official close to Zelensky refuted the “delayed repair” accusation, saying Naftogaz technicians have already provided evidence to Europe showing that the Druzhba pipeline was “seriously damaged.”
Naftogaz CEO Sergii Koretskyi described the attack’s aftermath: “Russian strikes ignited a storage tank containing 75,000 cubic meters of oil. The fire took ten days to extinguish.” He said, “A significant amount of equipment, power cables, transformers, and the leak detection system responsible for sealing the pipeline were all damaged.” “The airstrike ignited the largest storage tank in Europe’s largest oil depot—it’s as large in diameter as a football field.”
The Ukrainian official also raised sharper practical constraints: “Why must we repair this pipeline—during a war, without a ceasefire—in order to let Russian oil flow to Russia’s friends?” He said, resuming transit would mean sending repair crews into potentially dangerous areas and further straining already limited resources.
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