European Commission asked Kyiv to allow delegation to Druzhba, but was refused - FT

President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President Antonio Costa asked the Ukrainian authorities to grant access to the Druzhba oil pipeline during a visit to Kyiv on February 24, but were denied.

It was reported by the Financial Times with reference to five diplomats and EU officials

According to the newspaper, the initiative included a visit to the facility to confirm that Ukraine is taking steps to resume oil transit.

One senior EU diplomat, speaking on condition of anonymity, said that Kyiv's refusal was an "own goal" that allowed Hungary to maintain the block on European credit for Ukraine.

The source said that there are simple ways to document the presence or absence of damage and demonstrate the work on reconstruction, but, according to him, this was not done.

At the same time, an official close to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy dismissed suggestions that the process was being delayed. According to him, Naftogaz specialists have already provided evidence to European partners that the Druzhba pipeline has been seriously damaged.

We would like to remind you that the European Commission considers the desire of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban to send a monitoring mission to Ukraine to check the condition of the Druzhba pipeline and the readiness to accept its conclusions a positive step.