Zelensky publicly stated that he does not support the restoration of the Druzhba oil pipeline

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has publicly stated that he does not support the restoration of the Druzhba oil pipeline, which previously transported Russian oil to Hungary and Slovakia. According to him, his personal position is that the launch of this infrastructure again is unacceptable.

The head of state said this on March 5 during a briefing following a working meeting with the participation of the president, prime minister and members of the government. The UNIAN agency reported on the statement.

“To be honest, I would not restore it,” Zelensky stressed, adding that he had conveyed this position to both the leadership of the European Union and those officials who approached him on this issue. He emphasized that this is about the transportation of Russian oil, and therefore the issue is not only economic, but also of principle.

The President also spoke sharply about the arguments that link the need to restore supplies to Hungary's domestic political needs. In particular, he mentioned Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, stating that principles cannot have a price in conditions when Russia is waging war against Ukraine. According to Zelensky, it is unacceptable to supply oil to an aggressor state bypassing moral principles solely for the political interests of individual leaders.

Commenting on Budapest's demands for an inspection of the pipeline to assess its technical condition, the President expressed confidence that representatives of the European Union trust Ukraine in the issue of the destruction of the Druzhba. He made it clear that Kyiv is open to communication, but sees no reason to reconsider its position.

At the same time, the Ukrinform news agency reported on a technical assessment of the situation from the energy sector. The Chairman of the Board of Naftogaz of Ukraine Serhiy Koretsky stated that, given the security and technological factors, it is more expedient not to restore the oil pipeline in its original form, but to consider an alternative - the creation of underground maneuvering tank farms.

According to Koretsky, the main pumping station in Brody, Lviv region, was destroyed. In addition, an oil pipeline with a capacity of 75 thousand tons was destroyed - the largest in Central Europe. Therefore, as the head of the company emphasized, the reconstruction of this infrastructure has neither technological feasibility nor security sense.

Thus, the issue of "Friendship" acquires not only an economic or infrastructural dimension, but also a clearly defined political and value context. The Ukrainian authorities demonstrate that in matters related to Russian energy resources, principles and national security remain the priority.