Ukraine has reversed course under EU pressure to enable repairs on the Druzhba pipeline, clearing a path to unblock a €90bn loan held up by Hungary and Slovakia. The pipeline, carrying Russian oil to central Europe, has been offline since January after Russian strikes damaged it.

President Zelenskyy previously resisted inspections, calling restoration of oil flows "blackmail." Hungary had threatened to veto both the loan and new Russian sanctions. The EU offered technical support and funding, which Kyiv now accepts after presenting evidence of pipeline damage to European ambassadors.

Repairs to a pumping station in Ukraine's western Lviv region will resume oil flows in about 1.5 months. The resolution comes as Europe faces oil price volatility from the Iran conflict, with Hungary making its stance against Kyiv central to its upcoming parliamentary campaign.