
Ukraine has accepted European Union support to repair the Druzhba pipeline, which carries Russian crude oil to Hungary and Slovakia – a move aimed at defusing a dispute that has delayed a vital EU loan to Ukraine and the implementation of further sanctions on Russia.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President Antonio Costa said in a joint statement on Tuesday that Brussels would provide “technical and financial assistance” to reopen the line, which was damaged in western Ukraine during Russian attacks in January.