The Tisza Party Is an Accomplice in Attempt Against Hungary

While global oil markets are bracing for an explosion in prices amid the escalating events in Iran, neighboring Ukraine continues to keep Hungary in check by halting oil deliveries. The Hungarian government has released fresh satellite imagery regarding the condition of the Druzhba oil pipeline, asserting that the Ukrainian leadership has found an accomplice in Peter Magyar and the Tisza Party.

Tisza Party chief Peter Magyar and European People's Party head Manfred Weber (Photo: AFP) Fotó: ATTILA KISBENEDEK Forrás: AFP

On January 27, Ukraine suspended oil shipments to Hungary via the Druzhba (Friendship) pipeline, citing a Russian attack on the network. However, the Hungarian government has presented updated satellite images and operational data showing that the pipeline remains operable and was not directly impacted by the reported strike.

According to Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto, blocking the Druzhba oil pipeline in this situation is an attack against Hungary (Photo: AFP)
 

Based on the satellite imagery and operational information available to us, it is clear that the Druzhba oil pipeline is capable of operation,

Prime Minister Viktor Orban announced.

PM Orban made the footage public, emphasizing:

Satellite images do not lie. The Druzhba oil pipeline was not damaged. President Volodymyr Zelensky should act immediately to restart oil deliveries to Hungary, instead of resorting to blackmail.

The prime minister again called on Zelensky to reopen the pipeline and, in order to put an end to the dispute, to allow Hungarian and Slovak inspectors access—arguing that the current situation is political, not technical, in nature.

Foreign Affairs and Trade Minister Peter Szijjarto confirmed that the satellite images reviewed during a national security meeting clearly demonstrate that “President Zelensky is lying” and that there is no technical justification for blocking the Druzhba pipeline. According to Szijjarto, the system operator is prepared to resume deliveries.

Recent remarks by Ukrainian analysts appear to reinforce the Hungarian government’s position regarding Kyiv’s intentions.

Ukrainian analyst Dmytro Kornyienko reportedly described endangering Hungary’s energy supply and applying pressure as “a good move on the part of the Ukrainian leadership,” suggesting that restarting the pipeline would also become part of a political game aimed at influencing Hungarian elections.

This position was echoed by political analyst Taras Zahorodniy, who explained in a television interview how the Druzhba pipeline could be used as a political weapon against Hungary. He cynically noted that spare parts could be “searched for” over six months or even a year, and that such delays could serve as leverage against Hungary and Slovakia.

According to the Hungarian government, Peter Magyar and the Tisza Party are actively participating in this political blackmail campaign.

We know they are working together with Zelensky, and just as they shut down the pipeline together, they can reopen it together, 

Balazs Orban, the prime minister’s political director, posted on social media.

Prime Minister Orban expressed a similar view:

Everyone also knows that President Zelensky intends to use this blockade to bring down the Hungarian government. We also know that Zelensky wants to help install a government that will serve Kyiv’s interests.

Viktor Orban pointed out.

This political blackmail comes at an especially grave moment for Hungary, as global energy markets are already facing wartime uncertainty. The Iranian conflict in the Middle East has triggered immediate price increases, with Brent crude approaching the psychological $100-per-barrel threshold after surpassing $80, while WTI crude has also jumped by nearly 8 percent.

In a situation where maritime oil transport has become uncertain due to closures tensions around the Strait of Hormuz, blocking a well-functioning overland pipeline route amounts to an attack against Hungary,

Szijjarto declared.