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Hungarian PM disputes Zelensky claims over Druzhba pipeline

According to Viktor Orban, Vladimir Zelensky is lying when he says it is impossible to resume oil transit through the Druzhba pipeline

BUDAPEST, February 27. /TASS/. Ukraine harms the Hungarian economy by refusing to restore oil supplies from Russia, and Vladimir Zelensky’s claims that the Druzhba pipeline has not yet been restored after damage are false, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said.

"They dealt a blow to our economy by imposing an oil blockade," he said on Kossuth Radio, commenting on the actions of the Ukrainian government. According to Orban, "Zelensky is lying" when he says it is impossible to resume oil transit through the Druzhba pipeline, and "poor Western Europeans believe him, because they simply don’t know Ukrainians."

"We triple-check everything the Ukrainians say," Orban emphasized, adding that this is precisely the reason behind his proposal to the European Commission to send an expert group to assess the condition of the Druzhba pipeline. So far, he has received no agreement on this, nor a response to his open letter to Zelensky urging the restoration of Russian oil supplies to Hungary and Slovakia.

In addition, due to hostile Ukrainian policies, Budapest has to take measures to protect critical energy sites, Orban said. "We know that you can expect anything from the Ukrainians," he explained, recalling that Ukrainian citizens are suspected of involvement in the sabotage of the Nord Stream gas pipelines in September 2022.

"We now face them directly," the prime minister said. On February 25, after a meeting of the Defense Council, he ordered enhanced protection of the country’s energy infrastructure using military units and equipment. Helicopter units have been deployed to northeastern Hungary near the Ukrainian border, and drone flights in the area are now prohibited.

Orban also recalled that, in response to the cessation of oil transit via Druzhba, Hungary stopped supplying diesel fuel to Ukraine, blocked the allocation of a €90 billion EU loan to Kiev, and intends to oppose any Brussels decisions favoring Ukraine. Slovakia has taken similar measures. The Hungarian prime minister said he will meet with his Slovak counterpart, Robert Fico, on Friday to discuss further joint steps in light of Ukraine’s oil blockade.

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