Orban threatened Zelensky: "If there is no oil via Druzhba, there is no EU loan for Kyiv either"
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban told Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky that if Ukraine wants to receive a loan from the EU, it must reopen the "Druzhba" oil pipeline.
TL;DR
- Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban linked an EU loan for Ukraine to the reopening of the "Druzhba" oil pipeline.
- Orban suggested Ukraine is using the oil blockade to influence Hungarian elections.
- Ukraine denies intentionally hindering oil transport through the "Druzhba" pipeline and expects repairs to be completed soon.
- Hungary is blocking an EU loan of 90 billion euros and new sanctions against Russia until the oil flow is restored.
- The flow of Russian oil through the "Druzhba" pipeline to Hungary and Slovakia has been suspended since late January, with Kyiv blaming Russian strikes and Slovakia/Hungary blaming Ukraine.