Hungarian foreign minister accuses Kyiv of attack that halted Russian oil supplies to Hungary

Péter Szijjártó. Stock Photo: Getty Images

Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó has once again accused Ukraine of carrying out an “attack” on an oil pipeline that caused a “suspension of oil supplies” to Hungary.

Source: Szijjártó on Facebook, as reported by European Pravda

Details: The minister did not name the pipeline, but he may have been referring to the Druzhba pipeline – historically the channel for Urals crude, which makes up over 50% of Hungary’s imports.

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Last week, Szijjártó blamed Ukraine for striking an “important distribution station” on the Druzhba pipeline in Russia’s Bryansk Oblast.

“This latest attack on our energy security is outrageous and unacceptable!” the Hungarian foreign minister stressed on 18 August.

Szijjártó quoted Russian Deputy Energy Minister Pavel Sorokin as saying that Russian experts were working on “repairing the pumping station as fast as possible” so that the pipeline can function. He also complained that it is still unknown when supplies will resume.

“Brussels and Kyiv have been trying to drag Hungary into the war in Ukraine for three and a half years, and Ukraine’s increasingly frequent attacks on our energy security have the same aim,” Szijjártó fumed.

The foreign minister reiterated that the Russo-Ukrainian war is “not Hungary’s war” and emphasised that Hungary “wants to stay on the sidelines” as long as Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s government is in power.

“Finally, a reminder to Ukrainian politicians: electricity from Hungary plays a key role in Ukraine’s energy supply,” he added.

Background:

• The European Commission has proposed introducing a legally binding ban on Russian gas and LNG imports to the EU by the end of 2027. The proposal includes provisions to ensure the plan cannot be blocked by Budapest or Bratislava.
• In July, Szijjártó announced progress on a new Hungary-Serbia oil pipeline project that was first unveiled earlier this spring, and once again criticised the EU for phasing out Russian energy resources.

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