BUDAPEST, March 3. /TASS/. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has appealed to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen to press Vladimir Zelensky to restart the transit of Russian oil through the Druzhba pipeline.
In a video address broadcast by the M1 television channel, Orban said that he had sent a letter to Brussels in which he also stated that Ukraine is obligated to comply with its agreements with the EU and not jeopardize the energy security of EU countries.
"Zelensky said he does not intend to reopen the pipeline. Therefore, today I have informed the President of the European Commission of the current situation," the Prime Minister stated, showing a copy of the letter sent to von der Leyen.
Orban recalled that he and his Slovak counterpart, Robert Fico, proposed sending experts from both countries to Ukraine to verify whether the pipeline is operational or, as Kiev claims, still needs repairs.
In his opinion, Zelensky's response, who had claimed Hungary and Slovakia should be grateful to Ukraine for the fact that oil transit had taken place at all in recent years, was "simply cynical."
He said that in his letter, he informed the President of the European Commission that Hungary will not support any EU decisions in favor of Ukraine until oil transit through the Druzhba pipeline is reestablished.
Russian oil has not been flowing to Hungary since January 27. Budapest has already stated that the pipeline has been restored and that Kiev is blocking it for political reasons. In response, Hungary took retaliatory measures by ceasing to supply Ukraine with diesel fuel and refusing to allow the EU to provide it with a Ђ90 billion "military loan.".