Szijjártó attacks Zelenskyy over alleged lies, but ends up discredited
Photo: Péter Szijjártó, Hungarian Foreign Minister (Getty Images)
Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó accused Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of lying about the visit of the Hungarian delegation, according to the Hungarian foreign minister’s Facebook post.
"The Ukrainian president is lying. Zelenskyy claims he was not informed about the arrival of the Hungarian delegation in Ukraine because the Hungarian government did not coordinate the visit with Ukraine’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs," Szijjártó wrote.
He added that on March 10, Ukraine was notified via a diplomatic note that the Hungarian delegation, led by Deputy Minister of Energy Gábor Czepek, was traveling to Ukraine.
According to him, the Budapest delegation was supposed to inspect the Druzhba oil pipeline. Hungary also requested a meeting with Ukraine’s First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Energy, Denys Shmyhal.
Photo: Hungarian diplomatic note (facebook.com/szijjarto.peter.official)
The head of the Hungarian Foreign Ministry complained that Ukraine allegedly blocked the supply of Russian oil to Hungary at a time when sea shipments of oil face "the greatest uncertainty."
"Thus, the Ukrainian oil blockade is nothing other than a serious crime against Hungary," Szijjártó claimed.
What actually happened
Sources from RBC-Ukraine shared Ukraine’s response to the Hungarian note. It stated that the proposed dates for the visit of Hungarian officials were unacceptable for Ukraine.
Photo: Ukraine’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs response to the Hungarian note (RBC-Ukraine sources)
"We propose that the Hungarian side coordinate new dates for the visit of the Hungarian delegation, led by Deputy Minister of Energy Gábor Czepek, through diplomatic channels,” the statement clarified.
What Zelenskyy said
Earlier, the Ukrainian president stated that he had no official information regarding the purpose of the Hungarian delegation’s visit to Ukraine.
The president noted that Ukraine’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs characterized the trip as a private visit.
