Ukraine's decision not to allow an EU mission to inspect the Druzhba oil pipeline, which supplies Russian oil to Hungary and Slovakia, has caused disappointment and controversy in European capitals and in Brussels. According to Euractiv, diplomats call Kyiv’s actions “incomprehensible” and “contradictory”.

It is noted that a team of EU inspectors, which includes national specialists and is coordinated by the European Commission, has been in Ukraine for several weeks and is awaiting permission from Kyiv to go to the site of the latest attack on a critical energy pipeline.

" The EU is seeking to impose new sanctions on Russia, Ukraine needs a loan, and Hungary and Slovakia are heavily dependent on oil supplies and are now using reserves or raising prices. The only way to get out of this situation is to personally check what is really happening,” said an EU diplomat, who asked not to be named and called the delay “inexplicable.”.

According to the publication, some diplomats showed more understanding towards Ukraine. One of them noted that on a human level one can understand why Kyiv does not want to repair a facility that finances the other side’s military machine, calling the situation absurd. Another emphasized that we are talking about a country that is at war.

" Other sources of supply can be found. Therefore, the issue of “Friendship” must be considered in this context,” explained the third diplomat.

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Let us recall, as Suspilna reported citing sources, European experts who arrived in Kyiv on March 18 to assess the timing and costs of restoring the Druzhba oil pipeline damaged by the Russian attack have still not received permission from the Ukrainian side to conduct an inspection. The publication’s interlocutor noted that the Ukrainian authorities planned to admit experts before the EU summit in order to lift Hungary’s veto on the allocation of a loan of 90 billion euros to Kyiv. However, the summit took place on March 19, Budapest left its veto, and now in Kyiv they believe that there is no point in sending European specialists for inspection.

In turn, Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky, in a response to the EU leadership, stated that it would take about a month and a half to restore oil transit through the Druzhba pipeline if there are no new Russian attacks. He explained that his injuries were quite serious.

Meanwhile, the President of the European Council, Antonio Costa, positively assessed Ukraine’s promise to repair the oil pipeline in six weeks and recalled that the EC offered our state technical and financial support to ensure its restoration after the Russian missile strike.