In his address, Orban noted that for four years Ukraine has ignored the positions of the Hungarian government and people regarding the conflict with Russia. He claims that Zelensky is trying to involve Hungary in this conflict, gaining support from Brussels and enlisting the backing of the Hungarian opposition to create a pro-Ukrainian government in the country.
“Your actions, including the recent closure of the Druzhba oil pipeline, threaten Hungary's energy security and jeopardize the availability of energy resources for our citizens,” Orban wrote, urging the Ukrainian president to reconsider his policy, which he described as anti-Hungarian. He expressed support for the Ukrainian people but emphasized that Hungary does not wish to participate in military actions and does not want to increase electricity costs.
The Hungarian Prime Minister strongly urged Zelensky to “immediately open” the pipeline and to refrain from further actions that threaten Hungary's energy security.
The transit of Russian oil through the Druzhba pipeline was suspended on January 27 after a Russian drone strike on one of the facilities in the Lviv region, according to information from the Ukrainian side. Hungary and Slovakia accuse Ukraine of “hostile actions,” and Budapest also blocked a new EU sanctions package against Russia that was supposed to be adopted on the day marking the fourth anniversary of the war, as well as a loan of 90 billion euros for Kyiv. As an alternative solution, Ukrainian authorities propose using the Odessa-Brody pipeline.
Ursula von der Leyen, the head of the European Commission, condemned the attack on the pipeline and called on Ukraine to expedite its restoration. The Slovak Ministry of Economy received a notification from Ukraine that the resumption of oil supplies through Druzhba is scheduled for February 26; however, a source from “RBK-Ukraine” denied this information as inaccurate.
