Ukraine’s decision on the Druzhba oil pipeline has caused divisions within the EU

Ukraine’s decision not to allow a European Union mission to inspect the Druzhba oil pipeline, through which Russian energy supplies reach Hungary and Slovakia, has caused disagreement and disappointment within the bloc.

This is reported by Euractiv.

According to Euractiv, a special group coordinated by the European Commission has been in Ukraine for several weeks waiting for access to the pipeline. However, Kyiv has not granted permission for the inspection.

According to the outlet, people in Brussels are describing Kyiv’s decision as “unwise,” “a mystery,” and “incomprehensible.” One unnamed diplomat said that the European Union “has no clear understanding of what game Ukraine is playing.” Another source said that unblocking Druzhba would benefit all sides.

“The EU wants to adopt another sanctions package and keep pressure on Russia, Ukraine needs the loan, and Hungary and Slovakia are critically dependent on oil supplies and are either working off reserves or introducing dual pricing. The only way out of this deadlock is to inspect the situation on the ground and find out what is actually happening there,” the Euractiv source said.

At the same time, other diplomats took the opposite view, the article says. Ukraine’s position is “understandable from a human point of view,” one official said. Another noted that the European Union is moving away from Russian resources and that alternatives do exist.