Oil in exchange for weapons: Hungary makes claim about 'Ukrainian blackmail'
Photo: Peter Szijjarto, Hungary’s Minister of Foreign Affairs (flickr by photos vladacg)
Hungary has complained that Ukraine is allegedly demanding money and weapons supplies in exchange for restoring the operation of the Druzhba oil pipeline, according to Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto on Facebook.
Read also: Orbán accuses Kyiv of election interference: Public message to Zelenskyy revealed
According to the minister, Hungary’s chargé d'affaires in Ukraine was summoned to the Foreign Ministry.
"(The Ukrainians – ed.) admitted that the pipelines are closed for political reasons… They acknowledged that there are no physical or technical reasons not to resume supplies, that it is exclusively political. They also made it clear that in exchange for restoring oil supplies to Hungary, they want weapons and money," Szijjarto assured.
He added that Hungary refuses to "send its people’s money and weapons" to Ukraine. The minister demanded that Ukraine resume supplies of Russian oil via the Druzhba pipeline.
Also, in his usual manner, Szijjarto called on Ukraine to "stop interfering in Hungary’s electoral process" and not to threaten Hungary’s energy supply.
"They cannot threaten us, they cannot toy with us, they cannot create an energy supply emergency here in Hungary," he added.
Druzhba oil pipeline is not operating
Oil supplies through the Druzhba pipeline stopped after the Russian forces struck it at the end of January. A few days ago, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy clearly confirmed that the pipeline is not functioning precisely because of the Russian attack.
He also added that restoring the pipeline could come at too high a cost, as Russia has already carried out repeated strikes on repair crews.
Zelenskyy suggested that Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán persuade Russian President Vladimir Putin to conclude an energy ceasefire agreement with Ukraine.
