Why was the Druzba pipeline key to unblocking €90bn in EU funds for Ukraine?

22 Apr 2026 • 9:57 PM MYT
The Independent
The Independent

The world’s most free-thinking newspaper

Why was the Druzba pipeline key to unblocking €90bn in EU funds for Ukraine?

  • Ukraine completed repairs on the damaged Druzhba oil pipeline, with President Volodymyr Zelensky announcing its readiness to resume operations on Tuesday, 21 April.
  • The repair work was crucial for unblocking a €90bn ($106bn) EU loan package intended for Ukraine, which had been delayed by Hungary and Slovakia.
  • EU ambassadors finally approved the promised loan to Ukraine and a package of sanctions against Russia on Wednesday, 22 April, with a formal written procedure to conclude on Thursday.
  • Russian oil supplies to Hungary and Slovakia had been halted for two months following alleged Russian drone attacks that damaged the pipeline crossing Ukrainian territory.
  • Zelenskyy cautioned that there is no guarantee Russia will not target the pipeline infrastructure again, despite the completed repairs.

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