Hungary’s Szijjarto says Baltic states 'play from Zelenskyy’s notes'

Szijjarto reacted to Lithuanian Foreign Minister Kęstutis Budrys's statement that he would be ashamed to live in a country that buys cheap Russian oil, because, in his opinion, it represents a loss of energy autonomy.

In response, the head of Hungarian diplomacy stated that Budapest will not allow anyone to dictate its energy policy.

"The Baltic states have long been playing from Zelenskyy’s notes, but Hungary will not give in to the blackmail of the Ukrainian president," he declared.

Szijjarto also emphasized that no one can force Hungary to buy energy resources at higher prices.

"No one can tell us where we should or should not buy oil from, and no one can force us to buy oil at a higher price than before," the diplomat stressed.

He noted that families in many European countries pay three or four times as much for utilities as Hungarian households do.

"We will protect lower energy costs and defend our sovereignty!" the minister concluded.

Relations between Ukraine and Hungary have remained tense recently, particularly regarding the transit of Russian oil via the Druzhba pipeline.

On March 11, information emerged that a Hungarian delegation led by State Secretary Gabor Czepek had supposedly arrived in Ukraine to assess the condition of the Druzhba pipeline and the possibility of resuming oil transit to Hungary.

However, Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Heorhii Tykhyi stated that this group of Hungarian officials has no official status and no scheduled meetings, so it is incorrect to refer to it as a delegation.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy also stated that he was unaware of the purpose of the Hungarian government delegation's stay in Ukraine.

In response, Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto accused Zelenskyy of lying about this visit.