Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister, Taras Kachka, interviewed today by the Dutch station BNR Nieuwsradio, claimed that a “security situation” keeps Kiev from allowing an EU team to inspect the Druzhba oil pipeline. Kyiv Independent reported that this is the first time Kiev has acknowledged they are keeping the EU team from inspecting the pipeline. For more than two months, Kiev has cut off Hungary and Slovakia, EU members, from their contracted deliveries of Russian oil via the Soviet-era Druzhba pipeline. The ‘dog has eaten the homework’ more than a few times.
Kachka defended their decision as due to “technical safety procedures,” citing risks from Russian attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure. “The problem is that Russia is destroying a great deal of our energy infrastructure: other pipelines, gas storage facilities, repair equipment.” Apparently, this wasn’t communicated to their EU partners prior to their sending their inspection team. Kachka added: “But we are prioritizing the Druzhba pipeline at Hungary’s request, so it will be resolved.” The song and dance continues.
Two weeks ago, after the European Commission finally made clear to Kiev that they needed to open the pipeline so that the EU can send Kiev the promised 90 billion euros, Zelenskyy supposedly finally agreed that he would allow Brussels to send technicians and financial support to ‘repair’ the pipeline. That was March 17. At that time, it was known Kiev had already kept a Hungarian team of inspectors waiting for several days in Kiev. It was expected that he would not do the same with the EU team, which arrived the next day.
