Hungary FM Calls On Ukraine to Stop Ongoing Attacks on Hungary's Energy Security

We call on Ukraine to cease its attacks on Hungary’s energy security, especially considering that a significant share of Ukraine’s current energy imports are coming from our country, Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said in Brussels on Wednesday, after he was briefed by Russia's deputy energy minister on the attacks against the Druzhba oil pipeline.

Peter Szijjarto, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade (Photo: MTI)

According to a ministry statement, FM Szijjarto told a press briefing following the NATO Foreign Affairs Council meeting that in recent days, the Ukrainian army has carried out several attacks on the Russian energy infrastructure responsible for crude oil deliveries to Hungary.

FM Szijjarto called on Ukraine to stop its ongoing attacks on Hungarian energy security (Photo: AFP)

This is outrageous. We firmly call on the Ukrainians to immediately stop endangering Hungary’s energy security. In recent days, the Ukrainians have not only attacked the route responsible for crude oil shipments to Hungary, but they have also begun targeting tanker vessels sailing on the seas,

– he declared.

“Therefore, it is clearly visible that the Ukrainians are also launching attacks against civilian targets in order to take revenge on the Hungarians and to make Hungary’s safe crude oil supply impossible,” he added. He then warned that 51 percent of Ukraine’s electricity imports and 58 percent of its natural gas imports currently arrive from Hungary, as does a significant portion of its various petroleum product imports.

I suggest that Ukrainian decision-makers take this into account when they decide on launching attacks against the crude oil delivery route directed toward Hungary,

– Mr. Szijjarto stated, emphasizing that with these attacks, Ukraine is endangering the security of Hungary’s energy supply, and the security of energy supply is a question of sovereignty.

Do not attack our sovereignty! We firmly call on the Ukrainians to refrain from this. At the same time, I made it clear at today’s council meeting that since Hungary’s role—based on the figures—in preparing Ukraine’s energy system for the winter is greater than that of anyone else, we expect both Kyiv and Brussels to stop all physical and legal attacks against our energy security,

– he said. FM Szijjarto underscored that Hungary will protect itself and that the government guarantees the secure supply of energy for households and the economy, as it has done so far. Finally, he noted that in the past few minutes he had spoken by phone with Pavel Sorokin, the Russian deputy energy minister, who briefed him in detail about the attacks on the Druzhba oil pipeline.

He added that serious efforts are being made to protect the Druzhba pipeline and its related infrastructure, and that the attacks, thanks to Russian defense efforts, caused only minor damage, which has not endangered and does not endanger crude oil deliveries to Hungary.

– tudatta.

Cover photo: Peter Szijjarto, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade (Photo: MTI)