Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has called on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to immediately resume oil deliveries through the Druzhba oil pipeline, arguing that there are no technical obstacles preventing its operation.
The prime minister made the statement after attending a national security consultation on Monday morning regarding the condition of the pipeline. Following the meeting, Orbán said that satellite images and operational intelligence clearly indicate that the Druzhba oil pipeline remains functional.
According to the information presented at the briefing, the recent attack reported in connection with the infrastructure did not directly affect the pipeline itself. As a result, Orbán said there is no technical reason preventing the system from restarting. He added that the relevant satellite images will be made public so that the situation can be verified.
Orbán again urged President Zelenskyy to restart the pipeline and allow Hungarian and Slovak inspectors to enter the area in order to settle the dispute. He stressed that Hungary will maintain its countermeasures until oil shipments are resumed.
The Hungarian prime minister also described Ukraine’s actions as what he called ‘ordinary blackmail’ against Hungary, emphasizing that the country will not yield and intends to overcome what he described as an oil blockade.
On Sunday evening, Orbán had already said that extraordinary information had been received and promised to present evidence gathered over the weekend about the condition of the Ukrainian section of the Druzhba pipeline.
According to earlier statements from the Hungarian government, the suspension of deliveries has lasted for more than a month and is attributed to political reasons. Orbán also consulted with Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico, and the two countries proposed sending a joint Hungarian–Slovak investigative delegation to Ukraine, a plan that Ukrainian authorities did not accept.
The issue has become even more pressing for both Hungary and Slovakia following the outbreak of a new conflict in the Middle East over the weekend, which could make maritime oil shipments less predictable. Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó said in a radio interview on Sunday that Ukraine should immediately restart oil transport through the Druzhba pipeline because sea deliveries may become significantly more uncertain.
Szijjártó added that, according to the company operating the system, the pipeline itself is physically ready to resume shipments.
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