BRUSSELS - Hungarian authorities may stop blocking the European Union's plan to provide a 90 billion euro loan to Ukraine if Kiev resumes oil supplies to the country via Russia's Druzhba pipeline, a Hungarian official told Politico.
It is absolutely crucial for Hungary that the operation of the Druzhba pipeline is resumed, the official said. He added that Budapest would accept any conclusions of the mission tasked with assessing the damage to the pipeline. If Druzhba operations are restored, Hungary could override its veto on an EU loan to Kiev. But he also warned that any attempts to circumvent Budapest's position would be seen as escalation.
Russian oil will not flow to Hungary from 27 January. On 15 February, Hungary and Slovakia asked Croatia to allow oil supplies via the Adriatic pipeline. The oil would be transported by sea to the Croatian port of Omisalj. The Hungarian government also decided to provide 250 000 tonnes of oil from MOL's strategic reserves for its refineries. These reserves should last for approximately three months.
Earlier, oil industry sources told TASS that the Ukrainian side resolved a technical problem regarding the Druzhba pipeline in the first half of February, but permission to resume operations was not granted.
The Hungarian government has already said that the pipeline has been repaired and that Kiev is blocking its operation for political reasons. In response, Hungary has halted diesel supplies to Ukraine and refused to allow the EU to issue a €90 billion „military loan“ to Kiev. Budapest has warned that it will block any decision by Brussels in favour of Ukraine.
gnews.cz - GH
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