Brussels is not pressuring Ukraine regarding the timing of the restoration of the "Druzhba" oil pipeline, which supplies oil from Russia to Hungary and Slovakia, said European Commission spokeswoman Anna-Kaisa Itkonen during a briefing on Thursday, writes UNN.
So, regarding Ukraine's restoration of the "Druzhba" pipeline, I want to state clearly that we are in contact with all relevant authorities, including Ukraine, to clarify the repair timeline. We are not exerting pressure or setting any deadlines for Ukraine.
At the same time, she pointed to the "context that for four years of war, Russia has used Ukrainian energy infrastructure, it has strategically and systematically destroyed it."
"And Ukraine has demonstrated incredible efforts to repair and restore, largely with the support of EU member states and the European Commission, which we mobilized to ensure warmth in hospitals and homes, and the industry's operability. Therefore, in this case, we are not exerting pressure, there are no deadlines. This must be very clear," Itkonen emphasized.
"But, of course, given the situation, given the context, we are certainly in touch regarding any timelines. Because at the same time, we, of course, know that Ukraine has worked diligently to prepare the energy infrastructure in a war-torn country. And, unfortunately, this is just another reminder of how unstable we are, depending on fossil fuel imports from Russia," she concluded.