The European Commission is exploring financial intervention to resume oil supplies through the Druzhba pipeline, a move aimed at de-escalating a bitter diplomatic row between Ukraine and its Central European neighbours.

On Friday, an EU spokesperson confirmed that the commission is "looking into options to support the resumption of oil supplies," including potential funding to repair the infrastructure. 

The announcement follows weeks of tension after flows to Hungary and Slovakia were halted in late January.

The Druzhba pipeline, a critical energy artery, was sidelined after Kyiv reported a Russian attack caused a fire that "seriously damaged" the line. 

While Ukraine maintains that technical repairs are stalled due to the extent of the damage, officials in Bratislava and Budapest have accused Kyiv of using the outage as political leverage.

The energy crisis has triggered a sharp diplomatic fallout, with Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico escalating the stakes on Sunday, threatening to block a €90 billion ($98 billion) EU loan intended for Ukraine unless the oil flow is restored.

"Blocking this huge military gift to Ukraine is a legitimate tool to achieve the restoration of oil supplies," Fico said in a video posted to Facebook. 

He added that Slovakia is prepared to "take over the baton" from Hungary, which has already vetoed new sanctions and financial aid to Kyiv.

The dispute has shifted from a technical matter to a core regional security issue. So far, Slovakia has already halted emergency power supplies to Ukraine, and Hungary’s government has integrated the energy crisis into its upcoming election campaign.

Meanwhile, EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is scheduled to meet with Fico in Paris on Tuesday. 

The meeting is expected to focus on a Slovak-led proposal to send independent experts to the pipeline to verify the damage, which Ukraine said would take time to repair. 

While the EU seeks a financial solution to facilitate repairs, the standoff highlights the fragile unity within the bloc as some member states maintain reliance on Russian energy nearly four years after the full-scale invasion of Ukraine.