The European Commission is acting like a "Ukraine Commission" by allowing Kyiv to halt Russian oil supplies to Hungary and Slovakia via the Druzhba pipeline, according to Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto.
Operative Information Center-OMM reports that the Hungarian diplomat emphasized that Ukraine lacks the legal authority to disrupt energy security for European Union member states.
"Under the existing agreement between Ukraine and the EU, Ukrainians do not have the right to do this—that is, to create energy problems for members of the European Union," Szijjarto stated.
The diplomatic tension follows a decision by Kyiv to suspend the transit of Lukoil products through its territory. Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico previously characterized Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's decision to stop the flow of Russian oil through the Druzhba pipeline as a form of blackmail. Both Budapest and Bratislava have warned that the move threatens their national energy security and violates the Association Agreement between Ukraine and the EU.
The Druzhba pipeline, one of the world's longest oil pipeline networks, remains a critical energy artery for Central European landlocked countries. While the EU has imposed various sanctions on Russian energy since 2022, Hungary and Slovakia were granted specific exemptions to ensure their economic stability. This latest dispute highlights the ongoing complexities of European energy dependence and the geopolitical friction surrounding transit routes through conflict zones.
