A bitter dispute pitting Hungary and Slovakia against Ukraine is holding up a crucial €90bn (£77.95bn) EU loan to Ukraine.
No oil has flowed through the Druzhba (Friendship) pipeline, from Russia to Hungary and Slovakia across Ukraine, since the major oil hub at Brody, in western Ukraine, was damaged in a Russian attack on 27 January.
While Ukraine argues that it will need six more weeks to repair the damage and restore the oil flow, Budapest accuses Kyiv of stalling, as revenge for Hungary's pro-Russian and anti-Ukrainian position.
The dispute underlines the ability of one or two countries to block EU decision-making. It also shows Hungary and Slovakia facing fuel problems, because they have refused to follow the lead of others and wean themselves off Russian oil since 2022.
The Brody pumping station in Ukraine's western Lviv region is crucially important for the transit of Russian oil to Hungary and Slovakia.
Satellite images obtained by the BBC suggest that the Russian strike on 27 January damaged its key part - a huge tank used to store oil necessary to keep the pipeline pressurised and functioning.
Ukrainian energy expert Henadiy Ryabtsev says damage caused to the pumping station at Brody is severe and is possibly not just limited to the oil tank. He states, 'The oil was on fire for about a week, which means that during that time everything around it was affected by the high temperature.'
The government in Kyiv emphasizes that due to ongoing war conditions, repair resources are limited. Ukrainian foreign ministry spokesman Heorhy Tykhy said, 'Our infrastructure is being damaged every day... Ukraine repairs all of that, but we do not have unlimited resources.'
To speed up the repairs, the EU has offered Ukraine 'technical support' and funding, says European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. President Volodymyr Zelensky expressed reluctance to restore the pipeline, highlighting that the oil is sourced from Russia.
The Hungarian government has accused Ukraine of delaying the restoration of the oil flow through the pipeline for political reasons, linking it to internal electoral dynamics and long-standing ties with Russia.
Despite these challenges, Hungary has begun sourcing non-Russian seaborne Brent crude from other countries but faces refining issues due to the equipment mismatch for processing different oil types.
