The Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has summoned the Hungarian chargé d’affaires twice in response to statements made by Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó regarding the oil transit through the Druzhba pipeline. The ministry’s spokesperson, Georgiy Tikhiy, emphasized that Szijjártó had misrepresented the discussions held with the Hungarian diplomat.
During the first meeting, Szijjártó claimed that Ukraine had indicated the resumption of oil supplies via the Druzhba pipeline was politically blocked. Tikhiy refuted this assertion, stating that the discussions focused on Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s comments about potential threats to Hungary’s critical energy infrastructure.
In a follow-up meeting, Tikhiy reiterated the unacceptability of misrepresenting the talks, expressing hope that the accurate content of the discussions would reach Budapest. He clarified that Ukraine had offered assistance to Hungary for the protection of its energy infrastructure, proposing operational channels for information exchange and coordination between the two countries.
These diplomatic tensions have been exacerbated by Szijjártó’s remarks on Hungarian television, where he suggested that Ukraine had communicated to the German chargé d’affaires that the oil transit was blocked for political reasons. Orbán further accused Ukraine of obstructing the Druzhba pipeline in an open letter addressed to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Hungary and Slovakia have also been blocking the approval of the European Union’s 20th sanctions package against Russia and the allocation of a multi-billion euro loan to Ukraine, which was agreed upon during a December summit. Both countries have stated they will maintain their veto until the transportation of Russian oil through the Druzhba pipeline is restored.
Ukrainian officials assert that the pipeline was damaged due to Russian shelling at the end of January, a claim that Hungarian and Slovak officials have disputed. On February 23, Szijjártó stated that there were no physical barriers to the oil supply, instead attributing the issue to political factors. He suggested that Ukraine was attempting to pressure Budapest into resuming negotiations regarding Ukraine’s EU membership.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha reiterated at a European Council meeting on February 23 that the pipeline was indeed damaged, urging both capitals to direct their ultimatums towards the Kremlin.
The Druzhba pipeline, which runs through Ukraine, is a crucial conduit for transporting Russian oil to Europe, particularly to Hungary and Slovakia. Following the onset of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the EU imposed a ban on purchasing Russian oil, although Hungary, Slovakia, and Austria were granted extensions due to their landlocked status, which limits their ability to receive oil via tanker from other countries.
Research from the Finnish Center for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA) and the Bulgarian Center for the Study of Democracy (CSD) indicates that imports of Russian crude oil to Hungary and Slovakia from 2022 to 2024 have generated €5.4 billion for the Kremlin, equating to the cost of approximately 1,800 Iskander-M ballistic missiles.
The Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has summoned the Hungarian chargé d'affaires following misrepresentations regarding the Druzhba oil pipeline. Diplomatic tensions have risen as Hungary blocks EU sanctions against Russia, citing political reasons for the halted oil transit.