{{dayPoint.date | date : 'd MMMM yyyy'}}

{{newsPoint.title}}

{{newsPoint.title+ ' '}}

{{newsPoint.subtitle}}

Hungary, Serbia, Slovakia to team up to counteract Ukrainian blackmail — Szijjarto

The minister also said that he had agreed with Serbia’s Minister of Mining and Energy Dubravka Djedovic Handanovic to accelerate the preparation to build an oil pipeline between the countries

Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto Sergey Karpukhin/TASS

Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto

© Sergey Karpukhin/TASS

BUDAPEST, February 24. /TASS/. The acquisition of a controlling stake in Naftna Industrija Srbije (NIS) by the Hungarian company MOL from Russia’s Gazprom will help Budapest, Serbia and Slovakia to resist energy blackmail from Ukraine, said Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto after a meeting with Serbia’s Minister of Mining and Energy Dubravka Djedovic Handanovic.

"As soon as MOL completes the acquisition of the Serbian oil company, the oil markets of the three landlocked countries - Slovakia, Hungary and Serbia - will function in a coordinated manner, and we will become even more resistant to political blackmail from Ukraine. Of course, we will provide MOL with all the necessary support for this," Szijjarto said on Facebook (banned in Russia, owned by Meta Corporation recognized as extremist in Russia).

He also said that he had agreed with Djedovic Handanovic "to further accelerate preparatory work for the construction of an oil pipeline between Hungary and Serbia. The new transport route will significantly increase the security of oil supplies to our countries."

It is assumed that this route will be used to transit Russian oil to Serbia through Hungary via the Druzhba pipeline.

The NIS Russian owners are forced to sell their asset because they are under American sanctions. In 2025, the US Treasury added NIS to the sanctions list along with its majority shareholder Gazprom Neft. NIS, MOL and Gazprom have agreed on the sale and must obtain permission from the US.

Szijjarto and Djedovic Handanovic met in Washington, where they took part in an international conference on energy cooperation between the United States and Eastern European countries. Szijjarto said that during this trip he would inform U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright and Doug Burgum, the secretary of the interior, who manages the country's natural resources, about attempts of political blackmail by Ukraine, which blocked Russian oil pumping through the Druzhba pipeline.

Tags

Ex-UK Ambassador to Russia Brenton calls for stopping viewing Russians as enemies

The official says that people exaggerate, "see the Russian hand behind a lot of things"

Press review: Russia readies for new Ukraine talks as US aids Mexico in cartel crackdown

Top stories from the Russian press on Tuesday, February 24th

European Troika should start dialogue with Russia — deputy head of AfD faction

Markus Frohnmaier said the AfD has repeatedly put forward the initiatives to lift sanctions against Russia and unfreeze its assets in case of progress in resolving the conflict

Iran expects to sign fair agreement with US very soon — foreign minister

Abbas Araghchi says a deal is within reach "but only if priority is given to diplomacy"

All contacts with Russia on Ukraine useful, nothing like that happened under Biden — Trump

"If you don't meet, nothing's going to happen," the US president said

Hungary, Serbia, Slovakia to team up to counteract Ukrainian blackmail — Szijjarto

The minister also said that he had agreed with Serbia’s Minister of Mining and Energy Dubravka Djedovic Handanovic to accelerate the preparation to build an oil pipeline between the countries

Russian athletes to compete for 2026 Paralympics medals in 18 sports disciplines

A week ago, Rozhkov said that six Russian Para athletes had received bipartite invitations to the 2026 Winter Paralympics

Foreign ministers of Russia, Egypt discuss strengthening of trade and economic cooperation

"The primary focus was on issues of continuing close foreign political coordination between Russia and Egypt on current problems at international platforms," the Russian Foreign Ministry noted

Top Hungarian diplomat secures US support for energy security amid Ukrainian blackmail

The US is interested in Hungary's success in the energy sector as a new period started after a "joint work in the nuclear sphere," Peter Szijjarto says

US sanctions 3 Russian individuals, 3 companies from Russia, UAE due to cyber threats

Russian company Matrix, Dubai-based Advance Security Solutions and Special Technology Services are on the list

West ignored invitation to roundtable in Vienna about causes of special op — diplomat

Permanent Representative to the OSCE Dmitry Polyansky says that the European countries are "trying to disrupt " the Russian, US peace efforts

Russia aims at development of multifaceted cooperation with Vietnam — Kremlin

Dmitry Peskov says that Vietnam is a very important partner of Russia in Asia

Ukrainian army deploying drones with toxic substances in special military operation zone

Russian service members have experienced severe illness, dizziness and a fever if they touched such unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) with their bare hands after such UAVs had been forced to land

Senators urge investigation into plans by London, Paris to arm Kiev with nuclear weapons

The body also proposed that the UN Security Council, the IAEA , and the Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons carry out investigations in accordance with their respective mandates

Russia could launch nuclear strikes on France, UK if they arm Kiev with nukes — Medvedev

"This is the proportional response that Russia has the right to," the Russian Security Council Deputy Chairman stressed

West left Russia with no choice but to start special op — envoy to OSCE

Russia's opponents will not be able to silence the inconvenient truth about their years of interference, about their attempts to turn Ukraine into an ‘anti-Russia,’ Dmitry Polyansky said

Nuclear bomb to turn Kiev into 'monkey with grenade' — Zaporozhye official

Anton Bibarov-Gosudarev said that the transfer, if it happens, will violate the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons and become nonsense in international law

Special military operations forces on front lines firmly stand for Russia — Putin

He also added that competent and courageous actions by the heroes of the special military operation made it possible to plan and carry out offensive operations in the most intense sectors

Russian scholar Andrey Lankov detained in Latvia — Delfi

Lankov was taken to an immigration service office

Macron acknowledges lack of unity in 'coalition of willing' on guarantees to Kiev — AFP

The French president also called it important to continue peace talks, but at the same time said he was "skeptical about the prospects for a quick agreement"

Ex-UK Ambassador to Russia Brenton calls for expanding dialogue with Moscow

According to Tony Brenton, there no signs of improvement in relations between Moscow and London due to the position taken by the UK authorities in support for Ukraine in the conflict with Russia

West’s goal is to give Zelensky time to rearm his forces — Russia’s OSCE envoy

Dmitry Polyansky says that this tactics is compatible with "today’s version of the so-called European values"

Ukrainian troops facing difficulties due to Starlink shutdown — commander

According to communications platoon commander of the 49th Combined Arms Army of the Battlegroup Dnepr, the Ukrainian reconnaissance drones and FPV drones are now flying less frequently and the operation of their live monitoring and recording systems has been significantly reduced

Plans to supply Kiev with nuclear bomb breach international law — Kremlin

Dmitry Peskov stressed that Moscow urged London and Paris to initiate parliamentary investigations

Russian troops continue to advance, battling near Svyatogorsk — DPR head

Denis Pushilin stressed that the advance in the north of the Donetsk People’s Republic was bringing closer a solution to the region’s water supply problem

Consequences of using nuclear bomb, Russian developments: Putin's statements

The Russian president said that Russia has promising defense and civilian developments, and some of them have not yet been publicly presented

Ukraine could go bankrupt by April due to dispute with Hungary — magazine

Mandiner emphasized that in the context of general mobilization, more than a third of Ukraine's budget goes toward financing the army

Russian foreign minister to discuss cooperation in UN, ASEAN with Vietnamese counterpart

Sergey Lavrov recalled that in May of last year, on the sidelines of the meeting of the leaders of Russia and Vietnam as part of the celebration of the anniversary of the Great Victory in Moscow, a consultation plan between the foreign ministries of both countries for 2025-2026 was signed

Witkoff, Kushner to travel to Geneva to continue talks with Iran — agency

US and Iranian diplomats have been trying to reach an agreement on the nuclear deal

US abstains from voting on anti-Russian General Assembly resolution on Ukraine

A total of 107 countries voted in favor, while 12 were against, including Russia, Belarus, Iran and North Korea

Russian troops liberate Rizdvyanka community in Zaporozhye Region over past day

Russia’s Battlegroup East inflicted roughly 170 casualties on Ukrainian troops and destroyed four enemy armored combat vehicles in its area of responsibility over the past day, the Defense Ministry reported