Ukraine Delays EU Inspection of Druzhba Pipeline Damage

Ukraine has delayed access for an EU inspection team to assess damage on the Druzhba pipeline, a key conduit for Russian oil supplies to Hungary and Slovakia, escalating tensions over energy security and European financial aid. The mission, which entered Ukraine on March 19, has waited nearly two weeks without authorization to examine the site near Brovary, where Ukrainian officials say a Russian drone strike in late January caused the disruption.

Kyiv maintains that the pipeline's pumping station sustained physical damage from the attack, halting flows that have left the landlocked nations reliant on costlier alternatives like Croatia's Adria pipeline. Hungarian and Slovak officials, however, contend that Ukraine imposed the restrictions for political reasons rather than due to irreparable harm, a claim echoed by Moscow, which denies involvement in the strike. Despite earlier assurances from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to European leaders that repairs could proceed with EU technical support and funding, the government cited security concerns in blocking both a Hungarian expert team in early March and the subsequent EU group.

The standoff has strained EU unity....