Ukraine blocks "Friendship" pipeline from Russia to Hungary and Slovakia

Ukraine has blocked the delivery of oil from the Russian energy giant Lukoil to Hungary and Slovakia. Hungary threatened with energy crisis. 

Orban-Putin press conference.

Photo: YURI KOCHETKOV/PAP/EPA

Ukraine has blocked the "friendship" pipeline delivering Russian oil to Slovakia and Hungary, both EU countries. Some commentators see an element of (perhaps poetic) justice, considering the fact that Hungary has been slowing down military aid from the EU to Ukraine: 

There's just something poetic about Ukraine blocking the transit of Russian oil towards Hungary, a country that's been blocking the transit of all military aid (of which they themselves supplied none) towards Ukraine.

I thinks the part where Orban starts to find out has began. pic.twitter.com/zeVXHluN5S

— Daractenus (@Daractenus) July 18, 2024

Hungary is looking for the EU to help unblock Russian supplies which were not barred hitherto by the EU. Ukraine has in turn explained that it could not wait longer for action sanctioned by the EU:

We had not other alternative but to take matters into our own hands. We have been waiting years for the EU and G7 to implement sanctions on Russian oil transported by pipeline... Lukoil without impediment was sending 200 000 barrels of oil daily

Inna Sowsun, Ukrainian MP quoted by politico.eu and rzeczpospolita.pl  

Sources: Rzeczpospolita, X, Politico.eu

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