BUDAPEST, March 2. /TASS/. Kiev is committing an act of aggression against Budapest by blocking Russian oil supplies via the Druzhba pipeline amid the conflict in the Middle East, Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Peter Szijjarto said following a meeting of the country’s security council.
As the situation with oil supplies from the Gulf area "has become uncertain" due to the events surrounding Iran and the possibility of shipping closures in the Strait of Hormuz, "blocking a well-functioning overland pipeline [by Ukraine] is an act of aggression against Hungary," he said. "By blocking the operation of the Druzhba oil pipeline during an international crisis, President Zelensky is committing an act of aggression against Hungary," the minister said in a video address broadcast by the M1 TV channel.
Russian oil has not been flowing via the Druzhba pipeline since January 27. Hungary’s government said earlier that the pipeline had been restored while Kiev was blocking it solely for political reasons. In connection with this Hungary took retaliatory measures by stopping the supply of diesel fuel to Ukraine and by refusing to allow the EU to provide it a military loan of 90 bln euros. Budapest warned it would block any moves by Brussels in favor of Kiev.