Zelenskyy Condemns European 'Blackmail' Over Druzhba Oil Pipeline

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has accused European allies of "blackmail" over demands to resume oil transit via the Druzhba pipeline. The critical infrastructure has been inoperative since January following a Russian attack and is now at the heart of a fierce dispute between Ukraine and Hungary.

In posts on his Telegram channel, Zelenskyy criticized pressure from European countries to allow the resumption of oil shipments through the pipeline, which connects Russia to Europe via Ukraine. He equated restoring the flow of Russian oil through Druzhba to lifting sanctions against Moscow.

"I am being forced to restore the oil pipeline. How is this different from lifting sanctions on the Russians? Why can we tell the U.S. In one case that we are against lifting sanctions, and on the other hand, force Ukraine to restore oil through Druzhba?" Zelenskyy stated in remarks to journalists.

The conflict escalated as Budapest accused Kyiv of deliberately blocking repair work to provoke an energy crisis in Hungary. In retaliation, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has blocked a 90-billion-euro financial aid package intended for war-torn Ukraine.

The geopolitical tension coincides with recent oil price spikes above $100 per barrel, driven by supply disruptions linked to conflicts in the Middle East. In response to this price pressure, Washington has eased sanctions on some shipments of Russian oil.

On Saturday, Ukraine's state-owned energy company Naftogaz briefed ambassadors from European and G7 nations on the condition of the Druzhba pipeline. The company reported that the infrastructure sustained severe damage from the January attack and emphasized that repairs are a complex technological process requiring significant time, specialized equipment, and continuous work under constant threat.