The European Union is reportedly offering Ukraine assistance to repair an oil pipeline that carries Russian oil to Hungary, in an effort to persuade Budapest to stop blocking a multi-billion euro EU loan package for Ukraine. According to Swedish media reports, the EU's proposed solution involves helping Ukraine fix the Druzhba pipeline, which supplies Russian oil to Hungary and Slovakia, the only two EU countries exempt from the bloc's Russian oil import ban. ' He added, 'What Hungary is doing is completely unacceptable...
' Kristersson accused Hungary of 'holding Ukraine hostage' over the issue. The reported EU offer comes as Hungary has blocked the disbursement of a 90 billion euro loan to Ukraine that EU leaders agreed to in December. Hungary has cited the damaged oil pipeline, which it claims Ukraine has delayed repairing, as one reason for blocking both the Ukraine aid and the EU's latest sanctions package against Russia.
Sweden views the EU's offer to help Ukraine repair a pipeline carrying Russian oil to Hungary as an acceptable solution, despite sending an unfortunate signal
Ukraine has reportedly welcomed the EU's offer, while questions have been raised in other member states about whether EU funds should be used to persuade Hungary to agree to a decision already made.
Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson expressed concern about the loan's financing and called Hungary's actions unacceptable, but noted that unanimity is required in the EU
Kristersson accused Hungary of holding Ukraine hostage and said the coming days, when leaders meet again for a summit in Brussels, will be decisive