Maroc - ENG.UATV.UA - A La Une - 12/Mar 21:08

Macron: “Druzhba” Issue Should Not Block EU Loan to Ukraine

France has stated it will work with Slovak and Hungarian partners to resolve the situation with the Druzhba oil pipeline, which is currently hindering the disbursement of a €90 billion EU loan to Ukraine. However, French officials emphasized that these issues should not be directly linked, UATV English reports. “At the European Council meeting in December, an agreement was reached that applied to everyone. Today, the priority is to implement that agreement. We believe that, based on this decision, progress on the EU loan for Ukraine should move forward, without tying it to other issues,” officials from the Élysée Palace explained. They also noted that Slovakia and Hungary receive Russian oil under exceptional conditions, outside the EU sanctions framework, and that the pipeline itself was damaged by Russian actions. “Ukrainians, including Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko, who visited Paris earlier this week, have already assured the president that they are taking all necessary steps to maintain pipeline operations. As of today, restoring ‘Druzhba’ is possible through repair work, and Ukraine bears primary responsibility for this,” the Élysée Palace added, noting that France is doing everything possible to help Ukraine navigate discussions with Hungarian and Slovak partners. The European Commission had previously proposed sending a mission to Ukraine to assess the damage to the Druzhba pipeline following the Russian strike on January 27. The post Macron: “Druzhba” Issue Should Not Block EU Loan to Ukraine appeared first on Freedom.