Ukraine resumes pumping Russian oil to Europe
The Druzhba pipeline had been damaged in January following a Russian attack, paralyzing crude oil supplies to Hungary and Slovakia.
The receiving station of the Druzhba pipeline, which transports oil between Hungary and Russia (File).
(AFP) Ukraine on Wednesday resumed pumping Russian oil through the Druzhba pipeline to European territory, allowing the preliminary adoption of a huge EU loan to the country.
"Crude oil transportation started and pumping began," a Ukrainian energy sector source told AFP.
Hungary's energy giant MOL said in a statement it expected "the first shipments of crude, following the resumption of the Ukrainian section of the pipeline system, to arrive in Hungary and Slovakia no later than tomorrow."
Slovakia's Economy Minister Denisa Sakova said in a Facebook post that the first supplies are expected to arrive in her country in the early hours of Thursday.
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First green light for €90 billion loan
The restart of Russian oil transportation opened the door for the EU to give the first green light to a €90 billion (about $105 billion) loan that would allow Kiev to bolster its defenses.
The Druzhba pipeline had been damaged in January following a Russian attack, crippling crude supplies to Hungary and Slovakia.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, defeated in the April 12 legislative elections, accused Ukraine of delaying repairs and in retaliation blocked the European loan.
Slovakia, a country highly dependent on Russian oil, was also threatening to prevent the adoption of the next package of sanctions against Russia.
Financing defense against the Russian army
The European aid should enable Ukraine to finance its defense against the Russian army and guarantee state expenditures in the period 2026-2027.
On Tuesday, Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky, announced the end of pipeline repairs. In March he had complained that the EU was pressuring him to move forward with the work, which he called "blackmail."
"How is this different from lifting sanctions against the Russians?" asked Zelensky in a contact with journalists, including AFP.
The EU imposed a blockade on most oil imports from Russia in 2022, but excluded the Druzhba pipeline to give landlocked central European countries time to find alternative oil supplies.
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