EU to help reopen blocked oil pipeline in Ukraine

BRUSSELS, BELGIUM - EU chief Ursula von der Leyen said Tuesday the bloc will help reopen a damaged pipeline that pumps Russian oil through Ukraine to Hungary -- after Budapest accused Kyiv of stalling on repairs in an escalating row.

Tensions have ratcheted up between the neighbours over the pipeline. Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orban invoked the issue to block a 90-billion-euro ($104 billion) loan to Ukraine as well as new sanctions on Russia.

Writing to President Volodymyr Zelensky, von der Leyen and European Council head Antonio Costa voiced hope the pipeline's "rapid repair" would allow the bloc to move forward "in a timely manner" with the EU loan and sanctions package.

"The EU has offered Ukraine technical support and funding. The Ukrainians have welcomed and accepted this offer," she said in a statement, released with the letter and Zelensky's reply.

"European experts are available immediately," she said.

'NO OIL, NO MONEY'

Orban said his position remained unchanged, adding he had spoken with Costa and Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico, whose country also received supplies through the pipeline.

"If President Zelensky wants to get his money from Brussels, then the Druzhba pipeline must be reopened," Orban said in a Facebook video. "No oil, no money," he added.

Landlocked Hungary and Slovakia have accused Ukraine of deliberately delaying reopening the Druzhba pipeline, which Kyiv says was damaged by Russian strikes in January.

Ukraine had been resisting the EU offer to help get oil flowing again. Zelensky called it "blackmail" to link the pipeline issue with support for its war effort against Russia's invasion.

But the letters published Tuesday showed the Ukrainian leader relenting, as the EU dialed up pressure for a resolution.

Zelensky said he accepted the "necessary technical support and funding to be able to conclude the repair work" on the pipeline, and would ask the chief of Ukraine's state oil and gas firm Naftogaz to "take this forward" with the EU.

EU leaders are to hold a summit on Thursday.

The Middle East war has seen countries worldwide search for for ways to release more oil supplies onto the market to ease prices.

Orban, Russian President Vladimir Putin's closest ally in the EU, has urged the 27-nation bloc to suspend sanctions on Russian oil and gas to counter rising prices.

The pipeline dispute has also come as the nationalist Hungarian leader ramps up political attacks on Ukraine ahead of a closely fought legislative election on April 12.