Hungary and Slovakia Establish Joint Commission to Investigate State of Druzhba Pipeline in Ukraine

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and Slovak government head Robert Fico have decided to establish a joint investigative commission tasked with conducting a direct inspection of the Druzhba pipeline. This decision was made after telephone consultations between the two leaders and represents an escalation of the energy dispute with Kyiv. Hungarian and Slovak administrations publicly express disbelief in the official statements from the Ukrainian side, which claim that the transmission infrastructure was seriously damaged by Russian airstrikes in late January 2026. Robert Fico stated outright that Ukraine is conducting a disinformation campaign aimed at convincing EU institutions of the technical impossibility of transit, while – according to his information – the pipeline remains operational. The situation has a direct impact on the European Union's financial policy towards fighting Ukraine. Viktor Orbán, in a letter addressed to European Council President António Costa, declared readiness for constructive dialogue but maintained his veto on the €90 billion aid package and new sanctions against Russia. Budapest demands immediate access for its own inspectors to the site of the alleged failure, suggesting that positive verification of the technical condition and the resumption of oil pumping will pave the way for unblocking EU funds. The European Commission described the proposal for an inspection mission as „a step forward”, while also noting that it remains in constant contact with the authorities in Kyiv to establish the facts. Since the beginning of the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Hungary and Slovakia have benefited from a special exemption from the embargo on Russian oil delivered by land, which has become the source of numerous tensions within the Community.In response to the suspension of supplies, Bratislava halted emergency electricity exports to Ukraine, which under winter conditions poses a serious burden on the Ukrainian energy system. Kyiv, in turn, firmly denies accusations of political blackmail, emphasizing that Russian drone attacks on pumping stations and control systems are the sole cause of the shutdown. The Ukrainian MFA summoned the Hungarian diplomat, protesting against the „misrepresentation of conversation content” and the dissemination of false theses by Minister Péter Szijjártó. Meanwhile, Croatia has offered to increase the transmission of non-Russian oil via the Adria pipeline, which is intended to serve as an alternative for countries dependent on supplies from the East. „Zelenskiy says there are technical obstacles to restarting the pipeline. Hungary and Slovakia believe this is not the case, so we agreed to set up a committee to establish the truth.” — Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán The Druzhba pipeline was commissioned in the 1960s as a symbol of cooperation among Eastern Bloc countries, and its southern branch currently distributes approximately 200,000 barrels of oil per day.