EU pressure to open Russia oil pipeline is blackmail: Zelensky

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky told his European allies that pressure to reopen the Druzhba oil pipeline carrying Russian supplies was like "blackmail," he said in remarks released on Sunday.

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People walk down the street in Kyiv on Sunday.

(AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky)

The Soviet-era pipeline that crosses Ukraine was damaged in a Russian strike in January, Kyiv says.

Ukraine says repairs could take up to six weeks, angering both Hungary and Slovakia, which depend on the pipeline for much of their energy needs.

Hungary and Slovakia have threatened to block EU aid to Ukraine unless it swiftly reopens the pipeline, while the European Commission has proposed a mission to inspect the damage, further pressuring Kyiv.

The war in the Middle East has brought the issue of oil deliveries into sharp focus, with countries worldwide looking for ways to release more supplies onto the market to ease prices.

"If we have decided to restore Russian oil supplies, then I want them to know that I am against it... But if I am given conditions that Ukraine will not receive weapons, then, excuse me, I am powerless on this issue, I told our friends in Europe that this is called blackmail," Zelensky told reporters, including AFP, when asked about reopening the pipeline.