Zelenskyy slams EU push to restart Russian oil pipeline
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Sunday criticized European pressure to reopen the Soviet-era Druzhba oil pipeline carrying Russian crude, calling it “blackmail” after Hungary and Slovakia threatened to block EU aid to Kyiv.
Ukraine says the pipeline, which runs through its territory, was damaged by a Russian strike in January and could take up to six weeks to repair. The threat from Budapest and Bratislava has increased pressure on Kyiv, while the European Commission has proposed sending a mission to inspect the damage.
Zelenskyy said reopening the pipeline under conditions that could limit Ukraine’s access to weapons would be unacceptable. He also accused Hungary of fueling anti-Ukrainian sentiment and said Kyiv was ready to work with any Hungarian leadership that is not aligned with Vladimir Putin.
The dispute comes as the Israel–Iran war disrupts global energy markets and constrains shipments through the Strait of Hormuz, raising concerns about global oil supplies.
Zelenskyy warned that the crisis in the Middle East should not distract the United States from supporting Ukraine in its war with Russia. Ukraine has offered drone-defense expertise to U.S. allies in the Gulf but is not involved in the conflict with Iran, he said.
Fighting continued over the weekend, with Ukrainian officials reporting that a Russian drone strike on an ambulance in the Kharkiv region killed two medics. Kyiv also said Russia had launched thousands of drones, bombs and dozens of missiles in recent days.
Meanwhile, authorities in Russia’s Krasnodar region said a Ukrainian drone attack sparked a fire at an oil depot.
Zelenskyy added that France plans to supply Ukraine with an air defense system later this year that could intercept ballistic missiles.
