Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said Budapest intends to force Ukraine to restore oil transit through the Druzhba pipeline. He also warned that Hungary could do so “by force.”
Orbán announced this on social media.
Details
Orbán said Hungary possesses “political and financial tools” that could compel Ukraine to resume oil transportation through the Druzhba pipeline.
In a video address, he stressed that Budapest would not consider compromises or negotiations on the issue. Orbán said Hungary would “break the oil blockade” and force Ukraine to restore supplies through the Druzhba pipeline.
He added that Hungary intends to act decisively and secure the restoration of transit as quickly as possible.
Context
The Druzhba pipeline sustained damage from Russian strikes on infrastructure in the Lviv region. Afterward, Budapest and Bratislava warned they might cut electricity and diesel fuel supplies to Ukraine if Russian oil transit does not resume.
Ukraine proposed an alternative route via the Odessa–Brody pipeline, but the Druzhba issue remains a source of political tension between Kyiv and certain EU countries.
Orbán later claimed that Ukraine poses a supposed “threat” to Hungary’s energy system and ordered troops to guard critical energy infrastructure.
In response, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Ukraine quickly restored pipeline operations after the first strike. At the same time, Budapest and Bratislava have not publicly demanded that Russia stop attacking the infrastructure.
Earlier, The Ukrainian Review reported that Hungarian authorities detained seven Ukrainian citizens—employees of the cash-in-transit service of Oschadbank—while they transported money and valuables between Austria and Ukraine.
