Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiga responded to the recent statements made by Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto regarding alleged obstruction of Russian oil transportation to Hungary. The statement came after Szijjarto accused Ukraine of attacking the oil pipeline that supplies oil to Hungary, calling such actions “outrageous and unacceptable.”
This is reported by Kyiv24
Criticism from Hungary and Ukraine’s Response
Szijjarto claimed that Ukraine has allegedly attacked the energy infrastructure that supplies Hungary multiple times, emphasizing that these actions aim to drag Budapest into the war. He also highlighted that the Hungarian government seeks to remain aloof from the armed conflict in Ukraine and hinted at the possibility of Budapest influencing electricity supplies for Ukraine.
“For 3.5 years, Brussels and Kyiv have been trying to drag Hungary into the war in Ukraine. These repeated Ukrainian attacks on our energy supply serve the same purpose. Let me be clear: this is not our war. We have no involvement in it, and as long as we are in power, Hungary will remain aloof.”
Kyiv’s Position on Budapest’s Energy Dependency
In response, Sybiga published a statement on social media platform X, emphasizing that it is Russia, not Ukraine, that started the war and does not wish to end it. He stressed that Hungary has ignored repeated warnings about the unreliability of the Russian Federation as an energy partner and has continued to support its dependency on Russian resources even after the onset of full-scale aggression.
Sybiga also added that Budapest can now address its claims and threats directly to Moscow. He emphasized that Ukraine is not responsible for Hungary’s energy problems.
In June, Hungary, along with Slovakia, did not support the conclusions of the EU Council, which called for a complete cessation of imports of Russian gas and oil by 2027. Budapest and Bratislava have repeatedly opposed initiatives for the energy isolation of Russia, considering them detrimental to their own national interests.