India, March 18 -- Top European Union officials said on Tuesday they have offered to pay Ukraine to repair a damaged pipeline meant to carry crude oil to Hungary, in a bid to persuade the Government in Budapest to lift its veto on a massive aid package to the war-wracked country.

Ukraine and Hungary have been locked in an escalating feud since Russian oil deliveries to Hungary and Slovakia were halted in January due to damage to the Druzhba pipeline, which crosses Ukrainian territory.

Ukrainian officials have blamed the damage on Russian drone attacks. Hungary's nationalist prime minister, Viktor Orban, has accused Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of deliberately holding up oil supplies - claims that Zelenskyy denies.

In retalia...