Hungary and Slovakia have agreed to establish a joint investigative committee to examine damage to the Druzhba oil pipeline in Ukraine and are demanding that Kyiv allow experts on-site to assess the situation.

Axar.az, citing Euronews, reports that the announcement followed a phone call between Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban and Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico, as tensions escalated over the month-long suspension of oil flows.

Ukraine says the pipeline was damaged in a Russian drone strike, but Budapest and Bratislava question the extent of the damage and accuse Kyiv of politicizing the issue.

Orban said, “We expect the President of Ukraine to fulfil his obligations towards the European Union and its member states and to restart the Friendship oil pipeline,” and claimed that “the Ukrainians are not willing to accept a verification, fact-finding mission.” He further alleged that “President Zelensky is lying; he is not telling the truth.”

The dispute has intensified at the EU level after Hungary blocked a €90 billion financial package for Ukraine, drawing criticism from other member states.