The European Commission has failed to support Hungary and Slovakia in their dispute with Ukraine over the Druzhba oil pipeline, Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó said on Friday in Budapest, according to a statement from the ministry.
The minister noted that Brussels responded to a joint letter from the Hungarian and Slovak governments only after more than ten days, but the reply did not side with the two countries in the dispute with Kyiv regarding the suspension of oil deliveries through the Druzhba pipeline.
Szijjártó said that it had become ‘beyond doubt’ the previous day that Ukraine was refusing to restart oil shipments to Hungary for political reasons. According to the minister, there are no physical, technical, or operational obstacles preventing the pipeline from transporting oil.
‘This became clear to everyone yesterday when President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, following a meeting of the Ukrainian government, definitively rejected the possibility of experts travelling to the site. Neither Hungarian, Slovak, nor European Union experts will be allowed to inspect the Druzhba pipeline,’ Szijjártó said. ‘The reason is obvious: the pipeline is technically and physically fully ready to transport oil,’ he added.
Szijjártó further claimed that the Ukrainian president was blocking the resumption of oil shipments for political reasons. ‘President Zelenskyy does not allow the oil deliveries because he wants to interfere in the Hungarian election. He wants Hungary to have a pro-Ukrainian prime minister and a pro-Ukrainian government,’ the minister said. The foreign minister also argued that recent developments suggest cooperation between Kyiv and Brussels in the dispute. According to him, the response from the European Commission did not support Hungary and Slovakia but instead attempted to argue that the two countries were not facing energy supply difficulties.
‘In this letter they did not stand up for Hungary and Slovakia at all. Instead they tried to prove that Hungary and Slovakia are not facing supply problems. They were defending the Ukrainians rather than supporting European Union member states,’ he said.
Szijjártó also accused Brussels of coordinating with Croatia in a way that could hinder Russian oil imports to Hungary and Slovakia via maritime routes. He noted that, under current European Union decisions, both countries are permitted to purchase Russian oil by sea as long as pipeline deliveries are not possible. ‘This is a clear and valid European Union decision. Despite this, the European Commission is trying, together with Croatia, to obstruct the purchase of Russian oil through maritime routes,’ he said.
According to the minister, the events of recent days demonstrate that Ukraine is blocking the pipeline exclusively for political reasons. ‘In doing so they are cooperating with Brussels, while Brussels is cooperating with the Croats in order to prevent the delivery of cheap Russian oil by sea,’ he said. Szijjártó described the situation as ‘shameful’ and ‘outrageous’, arguing that Hungary’s upcoming election will be crucial for maintaining the country’s current energy policy.
He concluded by saying that only a sovereign national government can guarantee that Hungary will continue its policy of regulated household utility prices and retain independent decision-making in the field of energy procurement.
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