Ukraine had not granted EU experts access to the damaged Druzhba pipeline section as of 27 March, despite the 25 April deadline for the EU's phased Russian gas ban and the repair commitment Zelenskyy gave in exchange for the €90 billion loan1.
Naftogaz presented a repair plan to the EU on 19 March, but presentation and access are different things. Whether the delay is logistical (the damaged section may be near active front lines), security-related, or a deliberate negotiating tactic remains unclear. Each explanation carries different implications for the EU's timeline.
The repair commitment was the price Hungary extracted for unblocking the €90 billion loan. Hungary then re-blocked the loan at the EU summit on 19 March. From Kyiv's perspective, fast pipeline repair now rewards Budapest's bad faith without securing the financing it was meant to unlock. Withholding access costs Ukraine nothing in the short term and maintains pressure on the EU to resolve Budapest's obstruction first.
The 25 April gas ban deadline does not wait for pipeline diplomacy. If the pipeline remains unrepaired when LNG restrictions take effect, Central European refineries dependent on Russian crude face supply disruptions regardless of who is responsible for the delay.
