Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy arrives for the International Four Freedoms Award ceremony in Middelburg, Netherlands, Thursday, April 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong)
FILE - A general view of a pumping station at the end of the Druzhba oil pipeline in the east German refinery PCK in Schwedt, Jan. 10, 2007. (AP Photo/Sven Kaestner, File)
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy speaks next to a drone after he received the International Four Freedoms Award, in Middelburg, Netherlands, Thursday, April 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong)
European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas arrives for a meeting of EU foreign ministers at the European Council building in Luxembourg, Tuesday, April 21, 2026. (AP Photo/Virginia Mayo)
European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas, second right, speaks with from left, Slovenia's Foreign Minister Tanja Fajon, Luxembourg's Foreign Minister Xavier Bettel and Cypriot Foreign Minister Constantinos Kombos during a round table meeting of EU foreign ministers at the European Council building in Luxembourg, Tuesday, April 21, 2026. (AP Photo/Virginia Mayo)
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy arrives for the International Four Freedoms Award ceremony in Middelburg, Netherlands, Thursday, April 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong)
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FILE - A general view of a pumping station at the end of the Druzhba oil pipeline in the east German refinery PCK in Schwedt, Jan. 10, 2007. (AP Photo/Sven Kaestner, File)
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Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy speaks next to a drone after he received the International Four Freedoms Award, in Middelburg, Netherlands, Thursday, April 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong)
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European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas arrives for a meeting of EU foreign ministers at the European Council building in Luxembourg, Tuesday, April 21, 2026. (AP Photo/Virginia Mayo)
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European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas, second right, speaks with from left, Slovenia's Foreign Minister Tanja Fajon, Luxembourg's Foreign Minister Xavier Bettel and Cypriot Foreign Minister Constantinos Kombos during a round table meeting of EU foreign ministers at the European Council building in Luxembourg, Tuesday, April 21, 2026. (AP Photo/Virginia Mayo)
KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Ukraine has completed repairs on a damaged oil pipeline and is preparing to resume flows, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Tuesday, while warning that there is no guarantee Russia will not target the infrastructure again.
Repairs to the Druzhba pipeline became a contentious issue, delaying approval of a major 90 billion euro ($106 billion) loan intended to support Ukraine’s military and economic needs over the next two years. Zelenskyy said repairing the pipeline was linked to freeing the funds, which had been blocked by Hungary and Slovakia.
But top EU officials are now cautiously optimistic that the massive loan scheme might be approved as soon as Wednesday, ending months of political deadlock.
“Ukraine has completed repair work on the section of the Druzhba oil pipeline that was damaged by a Russian strike. The pipeline can resume operation,” Zelenskyy said in a post on X. “Although no one can currently guarantee that Russia will not repeat attacks on the pipeline infrastructure, our specialists have ensured the basic conditions for restoring the operation of the pipeline system and equipment.”
“We connect this with the unblocking of the European support package for Ukraine, which had already been approved by the European Council,” he added.
Russian and Slovakia have been halted for two months after what Ukrainian officials say were that damaged the pipeline, which crosses Ukrainian territory, and that continuous strikes risk the lives of technicians trying to repair it.
The that began in February 2022 with Russia's invasion of Ukraine has killed thousands, forced millions to flee their homes and turned cities into rubble.
Before being Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán had threatened to cut gas supplies to Ukraine. Both Hungary and Slovakia accused Kyiv of deliberately obstructing Russian deliveries.
Zelenskyy said earlier this month he is reluctant to allow Russian oil to continue transiting through his country.
Speaking to reporters in Luxembourg after chairing a meeting of EU foreign ministers, the bloc's foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said the loan saga had taken many twists and turns. “We expect an agreement in 24 hours, so I don’t want to jinx it,” she said.
EU envoys are due to meet Wednesday in hopes of ending the standoff.
European Council President Antonio Costa, who will chair a summit of EU leaders starting Thursday, took to social media to thank Zelenskyy “for delivering, as agreed: repairing the Druzhba pipeline and restoring its operation.”
The 27-nation EU had originally intended to frozen in Europe as collateral for the loan. But that option was blocked by Belgium, where the bulk of the frozen assets are held.
In December, the Czech Republic, Hungary and Slovakia their EU partners from borrowing the money on international markets as long as the three countries did not have to take part in the scheme.
But Orbán the other 24 countries by later reneging on that deal over the pipeline dispute and as campaigning heated up ahead of elections earlier this month, which the veteran Hungarian leader .
