Ukraine again summons Hungarian diplomat over oil transit claims

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine has once again summoned Hungary’s chargé d’affaires following statements by Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó, which Kyiv described as false and misleading.

According to Ukrainian media, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Heorhii Tykhyi said the decision was taken after Szijjártó allegedly spread inaccurate claims and, in Kyiv’s view, completely distorted the substance of an earlier meeting held with Hungary’s diplomatic representative.

“As Minister Szijjártó circulated false theses and fully misrepresented the content of the meeting with Hungary’s chargé d’affaires at the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry, the Hungarian diplomat was summoned again,” Tykhyi told journalists.

The second meeting took place several hours after the initial consultation. During the talks, the diplomat received a formal warning regarding what Ukrainian officials described as the unacceptable misrepresentation of discussions. Kyiv said the step was intended to ensure that information conveyed to Hungary would reach Budapest accurately and without distortion.

According to the Foreign Ministry spokesperson, the Ukrainian side did not signal at any point that the resumption of oil supplies to Hungary through the Druzhba pipeline had been blocked for political reasons.

The discussions also addressed remarks by Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán concerning alleged threats to Hungary’s critical energy infrastructure. Tykhyi emphasised that Ukraine had informed the Hungarian side of its readiness to assist in protecting energy facilities.

He added that Kyiv proposed activating operational channels for information exchange and coordination between the relevant authorities of both countries responsible for safeguarding critical infrastructure, noting that such cooperation would be appropriate “if Orbán’s statements are based on facts rather than fantasies.”

By Tamilla Hasanova