Overview
- President Volodymyr Zelensky announced Tuesday that Ukraine finished fixing the Druzhba oil pipeline damaged in January, saying the line can restart operations.
- EU envoys plan to approve a required budget change at Wednesday’s Coreper meeting, the last step before a swift written adoption that would open the loan.
- Hungary’s Viktor Orbán said he will drop his veto once oil deliveries resume, while incoming premier Péter Magyar has indicated he will not continue the blockade.
- EU officials say the first tranche could reach Ukraine in late May or early June after routine technical checks and a memorandum setting reform benchmarks.
- The southern branch of Druzhba supplies most of Hungary’s and much of Slovakia’s oil, and EU and Ukrainian officials warn the line could face further Russian attacks.