diff --git a/app/models/ci/pipeline.rb b/app/models/ci/pipeline.rb
index 01d96754518..b81a3cf8362 100644
--- a/app/models/ci/pipeline.rb
+++ b/app/models/ci/pipeline.rb
@@ -750,6 +750,10 @@ module Ci
       self.sha == sha || self.source_sha == sha
     end
 
+    def triggered_by?(current_user)
+      user == current_user
+    end
+
     private
 
     def ci_yaml_from_repo
diff --git a/app/policies/ci/pipeline_policy.rb b/app/policies/ci/pipeline_policy.rb
index 2c90b8a73cd..662c29a0973 100644
--- a/app/policies/ci/pipeline_policy.rb
+++ b/app/policies/ci/pipeline_policy.rb
@@ -14,6 +14,10 @@ module Ci
       @subject.external?
     end
 
+    condition(:triggerer_of_pipeline) do
+      @subject.triggered_by?(@user)
+    end
+
     # Disallow users without permissions from accessing internal pipelines
     rule { ~can?(:read_build) & ~external_pipeline }.policy do
       prevent :read_pipeline
@@ -29,6 +33,14 @@ module Ci
       enable :destroy_pipeline
     end
 
+    rule { can?(:admin_pipeline) }.policy do
+      enable :read_pipeline_variable
+    end
+
+    rule { can?(:update_pipeline) & triggerer_of_pipeline }.policy do
+      enable :read_pipeline_variable
+    end
+
     def ref_protected?(user, project, tag, ref)
       access = ::Gitlab::UserAccess.new(user, project: project)
 
diff --git a/changelogs/unreleased/expose-pipeline-variables-via-api.yml b/changelogs/unreleased/expose-pipeline-variables-via-api.yml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..f37bf0c5cd8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changelogs/unreleased/expose-pipeline-variables-via-api.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+---
+title: Expose pipeline variables via API
+merge_request: 26501
+author: Agustin Henze <tin@redhat.com>
+type: added
diff --git a/doc/api/pipelines.md b/doc/api/pipelines.md
index 43bbf463c8d..1a4310ef328 100644
--- a/doc/api/pipelines.md
+++ b/doc/api/pipelines.md
@@ -93,6 +93,36 @@ Example of response
 }
 ```
 
+### Get variables of a pipeline
+
+```
+GET /projects/:id/pipelines/:pipeline_id/variables
+```
+
+| Attribute  | Type    | Required | Description         |
+|------------|---------|----------|---------------------|
+| `id`       | integer/string | yes      | The ID or [URL-encoded path of the project](README.md#namespaced-path-encoding) owned by the authenticated user |
+| `pipeline_id` | integer | yes      | The ID of a pipeline   |
+
+```
+curl --header "PRIVATE-TOKEN: <your_access_token>" "https://gitlab.example.com/api/v4/projects/1/pipelines/46/variables"
+```
+
+Example of response
+
+```json
+[
+  {
+    "key": "RUN_NIGHTLY_BUILD",
+    "value": "true"
+  },
+  {
+    "key": "foo",
+    "value": "bar"
+  }
+]
+```
+
 ## Create a new pipeline
 
 > [Introduced][ce-7209] in GitLab 8.14
diff --git a/lib/api/pipelines.rb b/lib/api/pipelines.rb
index ac8fe98e55e..f29a18e94cf 100644
--- a/lib/api/pipelines.rb
+++ b/lib/api/pipelines.rb
@@ -81,6 +81,19 @@ module API
         present pipeline, with: Entities::Pipeline
       end
 
+      desc 'Gets the variables for a given pipeline' do
+        detail 'This feature was introduced in GitLab 11.11'
+        success Entities::Variable
+      end
+      params do
+        requires :pipeline_id, type: Integer, desc: 'The pipeline ID'
+      end
+      get ':id/pipelines/:pipeline_id/variables' do
+        authorize! :read_pipeline_variable, pipeline
+
+        present pipeline.variables, with: Entities::Variable
+      end
+
       desc 'Deletes a pipeline' do
         detail 'This feature was introduced in GitLab 11.6'
         http_codes [[204, 'Pipeline was deleted'], [403, 'Forbidden']]
diff --git a/spec/policies/ci/pipeline_policy_spec.rb b/spec/policies/ci/pipeline_policy_spec.rb
index 844d96017de..126d44d1860 100644
--- a/spec/policies/ci/pipeline_policy_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/policies/ci/pipeline_policy_spec.rb
@@ -100,5 +100,51 @@ describe Ci::PipelinePolicy, :models do
         end
       end
     end
+
+    describe 'read_pipeline_variable' do
+      let(:project) { create(:project, :public) }
+
+      context 'when user has owner access' do
+        let(:user) { project.owner }
+
+        it 'is enabled' do
+          expect(policy).to be_allowed :read_pipeline_variable
+        end
+      end
+
+      context 'when user is developer and the creator of the pipeline' do
+        let(:pipeline) { create(:ci_empty_pipeline, project: project, user: user) }
+
+        before do
+          project.add_developer(user)
+          create(:protected_branch, :developers_can_merge,
+                 name: pipeline.ref, project: project)
+        end
+
+        it 'is enabled' do
+          expect(policy).to be_allowed :read_pipeline_variable
+        end
+      end
+
+      context 'when user is developer and it is not the creator of the pipeline' do
+        let(:pipeline) { create(:ci_empty_pipeline, project: project, user: project.owner) }
+
+        before do
+          project.add_developer(user)
+          create(:protected_branch, :developers_can_merge,
+                 name: pipeline.ref, project: project)
+        end
+
+        it 'is disabled' do
+          expect(policy).to be_disallowed :read_pipeline_variable
+        end
+      end
+
+      context 'when user is not owner nor developer' do
+        it 'is disabled' do
+          expect(policy).not_to be_allowed :read_pipeline_variable
+        end
+      end
+    end
   end
 end
diff --git a/spec/requests/api/pipelines_spec.rb b/spec/requests/api/pipelines_spec.rb
index 9fed07cae82..0d46463312b 100644
--- a/spec/requests/api/pipelines_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/requests/api/pipelines_spec.rb
@@ -445,6 +445,72 @@ describe API::Pipelines do
     end
   end
 
+  describe 'GET /projects/:id/pipelines/:pipeline_id/variables' do
+    subject { get api("/projects/#{project.id}/pipelines/#{pipeline.id}/variables", api_user) }
+
+    let(:api_user) { user }
+
+    context 'user is a mantainer' do
+      it 'returns pipeline variables empty' do
+        subject
+
+        expect(response).to have_gitlab_http_status(200)
+        expect(json_response).to be_empty
+      end
+
+      context 'with variables' do
+        let!(:variable) { create(:ci_pipeline_variable, pipeline: pipeline, key: 'foo', value: 'bar') }
+
+        it 'returns pipeline variables' do
+          subject
+
+          expect(response).to have_gitlab_http_status(200)
+          expect(json_response).to contain_exactly({ "key" => "foo", "value" => "bar" })
+        end
+      end
+    end
+
+    context 'user is a developer' do
+      let(:pipeline_owner_user) { create(:user) }
+      let(:pipeline) { create(:ci_empty_pipeline, project: project, user: pipeline_owner_user) }
+
+      before do
+        project.add_developer(api_user)
+      end
+
+      context 'pipeline created by the developer user' do
+        let(:api_user) { pipeline_owner_user }
+        let!(:variable) { create(:ci_pipeline_variable, pipeline: pipeline, key: 'foo', value: 'bar') }
+
+        it 'returns pipeline variables' do
+          subject
+
+          expect(response).to have_gitlab_http_status(200)
+          expect(json_response).to contain_exactly({ "key" => "foo", "value" => "bar" })
+        end
+      end
+
+      context 'pipeline created is not created by the developer user' do
+        let(:api_user) { create(:user) }
+
+        it 'should not return pipeline variables' do
+          subject
+
+          expect(response).to have_gitlab_http_status(403)
+        end
+      end
+    end
+
+    context 'user is not a project member' do
+      it 'should not return pipeline variables' do
+        get api("/projects/#{project.id}/pipelines/#{pipeline.id}/variables", non_member)
+
+        expect(response).to have_gitlab_http_status(404)
+        expect(json_response['message']).to eq '404 Project Not Found'
+      end
+    end
+  end
+
   describe 'DELETE /projects/:id/pipelines/:pipeline_id' do
     context 'authorized user' do
       let(:owner) { project.owner }