European Union Announces Energy Aid for Ukraine and Presses for Druzhba Repair

Energy Aid for Ukraine: von der Leyen Announces €920 Million Winter Package

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced in Kyiv that the European Union is preparing to provide an energy aid package worth €920 million to Ukraine to help it cope with challenges expected in the upcoming winter season.

Von der Leyen explained during a press conference that the package is part of a new energy plan for 2026-2027 aimed at stabilizing Ukraine’s energy system, noting that this support will be coordinated with current assistance programs for the ongoing winter.

Druzhba Pipeline Repair

Von der Leyen also urged Ukraine to expedite the repair of the Druzhba oil pipeline, a key route for Russian oil supplies to Europe.

She added that efforts by Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenković helped secure supplies to Hungary, Slovakia, and Serbia via the Adriatic pipeline, while Ukraine postponed the resumption of supplies from February 24 to February 25 amid Slovak claims of repeated delays for political reasons.

Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó stated that his country blocked the EU’s twentieth sanctions package against Russia and the €90 billion EU loan to Ukraine due to Kyiv’s continued suspension of oil transit via the Druzhba pipeline.

Meanwhile, European Commissioner for Foreign Affairs Kaja Kallas said that Ukraine should focus on restoring its core economic infrastructure, rather than relying on the Druzhba pipeline for oil transport.