Orbán calls for EU mission to inspect Druzhba pipeline damage

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has asked the European Union to launch a fact-finding mission to assess damage to the Druzhba pipeline in Ukraine, according to a letter seen by Reuters. He says experts from Hungary and Slovakia should take part in verifying the pipeline's status.

Orbán suggests this could help resolve the political impasse over the major EU loan to Ukraine. Hungary has blocked both new sanctions on Russia and the financial package, citing the suspension of oil flows through the pipeline after damage Kyiv says was caused by Russian strikes in late January...