Supplies of Russian oil to Hungary through the Druzhba pipeline, which runs through Ukraine, are likely to resume as early as next week after a several-month hiatus. This information was announced by Hungary’s future Prime Minister Peter Madyar, citing the head of the Hungarian oil refining company MOL.
This is reported by Finway
Resumption of Supplies: Details and Political Context
Peter Madyar reported that MOL CEO Zsolt Hernadi informed him about preparations for the resumption of oil supplies. Next week, the company’s leader plans to visit Russia for negotiations regarding future energy carrier transportation. According to Madyar, the resumption of the pipeline’s operation is just the first step, and stable raw material supplies need to be established for a full restart.
“It is not enough just to restart the Druzhba. Oil also needs to be delivered there,” Madyar said.
The pipeline, which is a key route for supplying Russian oil to Central Europe, has been inactive since January of this year. The halt was caused by an attack from a Russian drone, which damaged infrastructure in Ukraine.
Political Tension Surrounding the Resumption of Supplies
The issue of repairing and resuming oil exports has become a subject of political dispute in Hungary. During the election campaign, Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who will soon leave office, accused Kyiv of deliberately delaying work for political reasons. Meanwhile, Peter Madyar stated that he expects Orban’s veto to be lifted after the resumption of oil supplies.
Ukrainian President Zelensky noted earlier this week that the resumption of exports through Druzhba could be possible by the end of April. Thus, the coming weeks may be crucial for restoring energy flows between Central European countries.