Ukraine has confirmed the resumption of Russian oil deliveries through the Druzhba pipeline into Hungary and Slovakia, breaking a months-long deadlock that had stalled a major European Union financial package for Kyiv.
The development comes as EU ambassadors in Brussels gave preliminary approval to a €90 billion (£78 billion) loan for Ukraine, alongside agreement on a 20th package of sanctions against Russia. The measures are expected to be formally endorsed by EU leaders at an informal summit later this week.
The loan, agreed in principle last December, had been blocked in February after Hungary’s then-prime minister Viktor Orbán vetoed its implementation, citing disruptions to oil supplies following damage to pipeline infrastructure in Ukraine. Orbán had made the restoration of flows a condition for lifting his opposition to the funding package.
Ukrainian officials said pumping through the Druzhba pipeline resumed after repair work was completed, with energy operators confirming that pressurisation had begun early on Wednesday. Slovak authorities said crude deliveries were expected to restart by Thursday, marking the first shipments since late January. Hungarian energy firm MOL also indicated it anticipated renewed supply within the same timeframe.
EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas described the agreement as significant, stating that it demonstrated Russia’s inability to outlast Ukraine economically or politically. Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Taras Kachka has previously described the loan as critical to the country’s survival, with most of the funds earmarked for defence spending and the remainder directed toward budgetary support.
The political deadlock shifted following Orbán’s electoral defeat earlier this month, ending his 16-year tenure as Hungary’s leader. His successor, Péter Magyar, has signalled a willingness to rebuild relations with Brussels, easing tensions that had complicated EU decision-making.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he had discussed the funding with senior EU officials, including European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President António Costa, and insisted there were now no grounds for further delays. He said Ukraine had fulfilled its part by repairing the pipeline and expected the EU to meet its commitments.
Orbán, who remains in a caretaker role until a new government is formed, had previously accused Ukraine of deliberately restricting oil flows during his election campaign, claims Kyiv denied. Satellite imagery had shown damage to infrastructure in western Ukraine earlier this year, with officials saying repairs were delayed due to continued Russian strikes.
While political agreement now appears within reach, EU officials say it may still take several weeks before funds are disbursed to Ukraine, even if the package is formally approved in the coming days.
