Druzhba pipeline row: Hungary issues sharp statement, Ukraine hits back
Hungary continues to lash out at Ukraine over the Druzhba pipeline, which was damaged by Russian attacks.
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Russia previously struck the Druzhba pipeline / © Associated Press
Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó claimed that Ukraine allegedly refused to meet with Hungarian and Slovak delegations regarding the pipeline. The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry has denied these claims.
Szijjártó posted his statements on X.
What Szijjártó said about the Druzhba pipeline
He said the Druzhba pipeline is ready for operation, but Ukraine is not restarting it for “political reasons.”
“A trilateral consultation with the energy ministers of Slovakia and Ukraine was scheduled today, but the Ukrainian side ultimately refused to participate,” he wrote.
He added that the Hungarian delegation spent “three and a half days in Kyiv trying to restore dialogue.”
Hungary’s statements on the Druzhba pipeline: Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry response
In response, Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokesman Heorhii Tykhyi rejected Szijjártó’s accusations, saying that “Hungary is fantasizing and then blaming Ukraine for it.”
“It is impossible to refuse something that was never planned, especially when it is suddenly presented as a "de facto agreement,” Tykhyi said.
He added that a detailed briefing for the diplomatic corps was held at Naftogaz on Saturday, attended by representatives from 31 countries, including the Hungarian ambassador.
“Full information on the status of the Druzhba pipeline was once again conveyed to all partners, including the Hungarians,” the spokesman said, according to European Pravda.