BUDAPEST, August 29. /TASS/. Hungary assumes that Ukraine may stage even graver provocations in an attempt to drag neighboring states into its conflict with Russia, Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said at the annual Transit Festival in Tihany on the shores of Lake Balaton.
"We must be prepared for tougher provocations from Ukraine than ever before. We have to be ready for the toughest and most serious outbursts Ukrainians can come up with to drag us into war," Szijjarto said in remarks broadcast by Hungarian TV channels.
As an example, he cited the recent attack on the Druzhba oil pipeline, which delivers most of the crude used by Hungarian and Slovak refineries. "When Ukrainians attack the Druzhba oil pipeline, they are not harming Russia, but primarily Hungarians and Slovaks, because they are jeopardizing our energy security," he noted, adding that any attempts by Kiev to justify such actions were "unacceptable."
The minister stressed that Budapest would resist any such provocations. "If someone infringes on Hungary’s energy security, they are infringing on its sovereignty – and anyone who encroaches on Hungary’s sovereignty must be prepared for the consequences," he warned.
According to Szijjarto, Ukraine’s pressure campaign is aimed at forcing Hungary to change its stance on military assistance to Kiev and on its opposition to Ukraine’s EU membership bid. He recalled that a referendum had shown a decisive majority of Hungarians believe "Ukraine cannot be a member of the EU."
Last week, Ukrainian drone and missile strikes hit sections of the Druzhba pipeline on Russian territory, temporarily halting supplies to Hungary and Slovakia. The two countries demanded that Kiev stop targeting the pipeline and reminded the European Commission of its responsibility to safeguard the energy security of EU member states. Oil deliveries resumed on August 28 following emergency repairs.