In his address published on social media, Orban pointed out that Zelensky has ignored the position of the Hungarian government and people in the context of the Russian-Ukrainian conflict for the past four years. The Prime Minister expressed the opinion that the actions of the President of Ukraine are aimed at involving Hungary in the war between Ukraine and Russia.
Orban also noted that Zelensky, according to him, received support from Brussels and engaged the Hungarian opposition with the aim of forming a pro-Ukrainian government in Hungary.
“Recent actions to shut down the Druzhba pipeline threaten the energy supply of our country and contradict the interests of Hungarian citizens. We cannot remain indifferent to a situation where our families risk being left without reliable and affordable energy supply. I urge you to reconsider your policy that is directed against Hungary,” Orban stated.
The Prime Minister of Hungary called on Zelensky to promptly open the pipeline and refrain from actions that could threaten Hungary's energy security.
The transit of Russian oil through Druzhba was halted on January 27, as reported by Ukrainian sources, due to a strike by a Russian drone on a pipeline facility in the Lviv region. In response, Hungary and Slovakia accused Ukraine of aggressive actions, and Budapest blocked a new package of EU sanctions against Russia that was planned to be adopted on the anniversary of the war, as well as a loan of 90 billion euros for Kyiv. As a temporary solution, Ukrainian authorities proposed using the Odessa-Brody pipeline.
The President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, condemned the attack on the pipeline and called on Ukraine to expedite its restoration. The Ministry of Economy of Slovakia reported receiving a notification from Ukraine that the resumption of oil supplies through Druzhba is scheduled for February 26; however, a source from "RBK-Ukraine" denied this information.
