A bitter dispute pitting Hungary and Slovakia against Ukraine is holding up a crucial €90bn (£77.95bn) EU loan to Ukraine.
No oil has flowed through the Druzhba (Friendship) pipeline, from Russia to Hungary and Slovakia across Ukraine, since the major oil hub at Brody, in western Ukraine, was damaged in a Russian attack on 27 January.
While Ukraine argues that it will need six more weeks to repair the damage and restore the oil flow, Budapest accuses Kyiv of stalling, as revenge for Hungary's pro-Russian and anti-Ukrainian position.
The dispute underlines the ability of one or two countries to block EU decision-making. It also shows Hungary and Slovakia facing fuel problems, because they have refused to follow the lead of others and wean themselves off Russian oil since 2022.
Satellite images obtained by the BBC suggest that the Russian strike on 27 January damaged its key part - a huge tank used to store oil necessary to keep the pipeline pressurised and functioning.
The Hungarian government has accused Ukraine of delaying the restoration of the oil flow through the pipeline for political reasons. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán maintains close economic and political relations with Moscow, and makes no secret of his dislike of Volodymyr Zelensky.
In the meantime, Hungary has begun receiving non-Russian seaborne Brent crude from Norway, Saudi Arabia, and Libya through the Adria pipeline from Croatia. However, Hungarian refineries lack the necessary equipment to process non-Russian oil efficiently.
