Szijjártó called on Ukraine “not to attack the energy infrastructure directed to Hungary” as Kyiv works to weaken Russia’s war machine. Kyiv’s armed forces said Tuesday that they had “struck a number of strategic objects of the Russian Federation involved in ensuring armed aggression against Ukraine.”
Budapest has used what was supposed to be a temporary exemption to an European Union ban on Russian oil to step up its purchases of crude via the overland pipeline network, making major profits from discounted crude.
In September, Ukraine signed off on an agreement that would allow Hungary to continue buying Russian oil despite having itself imposed sanctions on one of its major suppliers. Under the arrangement, the fuel is considered to be Hungarian the moment it crosses the border into Ukrainian territory, allowing it to transit the country.
Hungary has repeatedly threatened to veto any efforts by the EU to further reduce its dependency on Russian energy. Prime Minister Viktor Orbán last week blocked what would have otherwise been unanimous approval for a statement by European leaders affirming support for Ukraine and tougher sanctions on Moscow.