Ukraine claims no information about EU Druzhba oil pipeline mission
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Kyiv has no information about an EU mission tasked with inspecting the damaged Druzhba pipeline in Ukraine, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Heorhii Tykhyi said on March 18.
"I am not aware of any specific agreed-upon dates or trips. I am also not aware of the details of this trip that have appeared in the media," Tykhyi said at a press briefing.
The comments come amid an ongoing dispute over the Druzhba pipeline, a key network that was delivering Russian crude to Hungary and Slovakia via Ukrainian territory.
The pipeline went offline after it was damaged in a Russian strike in western Ukraine in late January, Kyiv said. Bratislava and Budapest accused Ukraine of intentionally withholding transit.
Brussels said on March 17 it had received a letter from President Volodymyr Zelensky accepting the EU's offer of "technical support and funding" to restore the pipeline's operations.
"European experts are available immediately," European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said at the time. Media reports indicated that EU experts would arrive at the Druzhba pipeline on March 18.
According to Tykhyi, the European Commission requested information about the timeline of the Druzhba repairs, to which the Ukrainian side responded in a "timely" manner.
Zelensky's letter, shared by the EU earlier this week, indicated that the damaged pumping station in Lviv Oblast should be restored within one and a half months.
"In addition, we maintain constant contact with both the European Commission and partners, including Hungary and Slovakia, regarding the condition of the oil pipeline, the damage caused, and the estimated repair times," he said.
A spokesperson for the EU delegation in Ukraine declined to comment on the mission's status at the current time.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, long viewed as friendly to Moscow, has used the Druzhba pipeline dispute to target Ukraine during a tense domestic election campaign.
Last week, Budapest dispatched a team of experts to inspect the Druzhba pipeline, but Kyiv said the visit had not been coordinated with Ukraine. The Hungarian delegation had since returned home.
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The Kyiv Independent news desk
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