A Conflict Between Hungary and Kyiv Grows Over the 'Friendship' 0 13

A conflict between Hungary and Ukraine is escalating due to the visit of a Hungarian delegation to inspect the damaged 'Friendship' oil pipeline, writes DW. The escalation reached a new level after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated on Wednesday, March 11, that he was unaware of such a trip. In response, Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto accused the Ukrainian leader of lying. He also accused Kyiv of an oil blockade against Hungary.

"The President of Ukraine is lying. Zelensky claims he was unaware of the arrival of the Hungarian delegation in Ukraine because the Hungarian government did not coordinate the visit with the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry. What is the reality? Yesterday, we officially informed the Ukrainians in a diplomatic note that a Hungarian delegation led by Deputy Minister of Energy Gabor Chepek would travel to Ukraine to inspect the condition of the 'Friendship' pipeline, and we also requested a meeting with the Ukrainian Minister of Energy," Szijjarto wrote on Facebook, posting a scan of the relevant diplomatic note.

"The situation is such that the Ukrainians have blocked the transportation of oil to Hungary at a time when maritime oil transport is experiencing unprecedented uncertainty, and the only alternative to the 'Friendship' pipeline is the maritime route. Thus, the Ukrainian oil blockade is nothing short of a serious crime against Hungary," emphasized Peter Szijjarto.

Kyiv's Reaction

Kyiv immediately rejected the accusation made by the Hungarian Foreign Minister. Zelensky's advisor, Dmitry Litvin, stated that Hungary may have forgotten what bilateral relations mean. "Maybe they have already forgotten what bilateral relations are, but official visits are an arrangement, not just 'throwing a note,'" commented Dmitry Litvin.

He also reminded about the comment from the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry, which stated that the "group of Hungarian citizens" entering Ukraine does not have official status or scheduled meetings. "The Foreign Ministry has already commented today that they entered here unofficially, just as a group of private individuals," added Litvin. He also suggested that it seems they were "trying to get attention on social media."

Earlier, a representative of the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry, Georgy Tikhiy, stated that the Hungarian delegation "has no official status, and there are no scheduled official meetings on the territory of Ukraine, so calling them a 'delegation' is absolutely incorrect." The diplomat noted that the group of Hungarian citizens entered Ukraine under general rules. "Any person for tourism purposes can enter Ukraine from Schengen countries in this way," added Tikhiy.

The Pipeline and Elections

At the heart of the dispute is Budapest's demand to repair the oil pipeline 'Friendship,' which was damaged by Russian strikes, as soon as possible. The pipeline continued to transport Russian oil through Ukraine to Hungary despite the war unleashed by Russian President Vladimir Putin four years ago.

Kyiv claims that the pipeline is damaged so severely that it will not be able to resume operations for at least six weeks—meaning after the parliamentary elections in Hungary, where, according to polls, pro-Russian Prime Minister Viktor Orban may face defeat.

Budapest disputes Kyiv's claims and insists on an independent inspection of the pipeline. Orban is actively using anti-Ukrainian rhetoric in his election campaign, seeking to close the gap with opposition candidate Peter Madjar.

Additionally, the Hungarian Prime Minister is using the dispute over 'Friendship' to block urgently needed EU credit for Ukraine amounting to €90 billion and another package of EU sanctions against Russia.