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Szijjarto scoffs at EU, Zelensky for playing dumb about Druzhba pipe

The Hungarian foreign minister said Budapest is demanding an end to the oil blockade

BUDAPEST, March 17. /TASS/. EU leaders and Vladimir Zelensky staged a show by exchanging letters about the Druzhba oil pipeline in an attempt to mislead the public, Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said in a video address broadcast by the M1 television channel.

"It is absolutely clear that the oil blockade was established as a result of collusion between Brussels, Berlin, and Kyiv. We urge Zelensky and Ms. von der Leyen to stop this spectacle! Immediately end the oil blockade of Hungary," Szijjarto said, stressing that the Druzhba pipeline is ready to transport oil to Hungary "as of today."

European Commission and Council Presidents Ursula von der Leyen and Antonio Costa announced that the EU would provide financial, technical, and expert assistance to repair the allegedly still-damaged oil pipeline. Zelensky responded by stating that restoring the Druzhba pipeline would take from one to one and a half months, and that Ukraine was ready to seek alternative routes for delivering non-Russian oil to Central Europe. The correspondence between Brussels and Kiev was published by the EU leadership.

Szijjarto noted with a laugh that von der Leyen had finally "woken up" to the problem. "Guten morgen!" he said, adding that "Hungary and Slovakia have been under an oil blockade for almost 50 days, and the President of the European Commission could have realized this much sooner."

Russian oil has not flowed through the Druzhba pipeline since January 27.

"The fact is that we are facing a political act. Let us not be misled: Kiev and Brussels coordinated every step. So, don't create the impression that Ursula von der Leyen is solving a problem she was unaware of. The Ukrainian President constantly consults with Brussels and Berlin, and a joint decision on the oil blockade was made at the Munich Security Conference," Szijjarto noted.

He believes that the Hungarian opposition Tisza party was also informed of this decision. According to him, Brussels and Kiev "were well aware that an oil blockade could lead to a supply crisis, which would aid the Tisza party in the parliamentary elections" on April 12.

"So, enough with the theatrics; resume the operation of the Druzhba pipeline today," Szijjarto demanded.

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