EC not pressuring Kiev to set timeline for Druzhba oil pipeline repairs - EC spokesperson

BRUSSELS. Feb 19 (Interfax) - The European Commission (EC) does not set deadlines for Kiev regarding the repairs of the Druzhba oil pipeline and does not put pressure on Ukraine in this regard, European Commission spokesperson Anna-Kaisa Itkonen said.

"I want to be very, very clear that we are in contact with all relevant authorities, including Ukraine to seek clarity on the repair timeline. We're not pushing, we're not pressuring or giving deadlines to Ukraine to do this," Itkonen said at a briefing in Brussels on Thursday.

"Given the context [...] we're not pushing, we're not pressuring, there are no deadlines," she added.

The EC spokesperson thus responded to a question about whether the EC seeks Hungary and Slovakia to restore their deliveries via the Druzhba pipeline as soon as possible, and whether the EC has set a deadline for restoring supplies, given that the EC is in contact with Ukraine.

"Ukraine has diligently sought to repair energy infrastructure in the country that has been destroyed [...]," Itkonen said.

She earlier said that in the short term, there is no threat to the energy security of Hungary and Slovakia as the Druzhba oil pipeline has been halted since January 27, while both EU member states have emergency oil stocks for 90 days.