Hungary’s foreign minister accuses Ukraine of attacking TurkStream gas pipeline
Photo: Péter Szijjártó, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Hungary (Getty Images)
Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó has accused Ukraine of organizing a drone attack on a compressor station of the TurkStream gas pipeline, according to Hungarian government spokesperson Zoltán Kovács.
According to Szijjártó, Ukraine allegedly launched 22 drones at the pipeline facility in an attempt to carry out a "total energy blockade" of Hungary.
The Hungarian minister added that "the Ukrainians have now truly crossed every line." He noted that the TurkStream compressor station is critically important for natural gas supplies to Hungary.
"Ukrainians are keeping us under an oil blockade, now they want to make our gas supply impossible as well," Szijjártó said.
He also pointed out that Hungary is one of the main suppliers of gas and electricity to Ukraine.
"Stop these attacks that endanger Hungary’s energy security!" the Hungarian minister urged.
Conflict over Druzhba
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has said he will block €90 billion in EU financial aid to Ukraine until Kyiv restores the transit of Russian oil via the Druzhba pipeline to Hungarian refineries.
In response, the European Commission said it is ready to help repair the damaged section of the pipeline. At the same time, experts view Budapest’s actions as political pressure using energy as leverage.
On Wednesday, March 11, a Hungarian delegation led by State Secretary of the Ministry of Energy Gábor Czepek arrived in Kyiv for talks on the oil pipeline.
Ukraine’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs stressed that the Hungarian representatives do not have official delegation status and arrived in the country as ordinary tourists.
