Hungary has announced that it will block an EU military aid package for Ukraine, labelling the country as “hostile” after an alleged plan to blow up an oil pipeline leaked in the Western press.
Hungarian government officials have expressed their fury at Ukraine in recent days, decrying the country as being “hostile” after the country’s alleged plans to blow up an oil pipeline leaked in the Washington Post last week.
As detailed by the leaks, Zelensky has reportedly been considering an attack on Russia’s Druzhba pipeline that supplies oil to Hungary in what would appear to be an attempt to sabotage the country.
Kyiv has also blacklisted Hungarian bank OTP, listing the firm as a sponsor of Russia’s invasion, causing further anger in Budapest.
According to a report by the Associated Press, senior officials in the Hungarian government say that they are blocking EU attempts to send more weapons and ammo to Ukraine in retaliation for the blacklisting.
“We cannot support the allocation of another half a billion euros from the European Peace Facility for arms transfers to Ukraine, and we will not give it the green light as long as OTP is on this particular list,” the country’s Foreign Minister, Peter Szijjarto, remarked, decrying the singling out of OTP as “scandalous and unacceptable”.
He also denounced Zelensky’s alleged plans to blow up the Druzhba pipeline, saying overall that there was evidence that “Ukraine is behaving more and more hostile towards Hungary”.
FM Szijjártó: @ZelenskyyUa threatening to detonate the Druzhba oil pipeline to Hungary not only jeopardizes Hungary's oil supply but threatens national sovereignty, therefore any attempt to disrupt it is an attack on Hungary's independence and security. pic.twitter.com/8hQ90Hpraa
— Zoltan Kovacs (@zoltanspox) May 17, 2023
“We are all aware that Hungary is currently supplied with oil through this very pipeline. If no more oil were to come to Hungary through this pipeline, then Hungary’s oil supply simply would not be physically possible, not to mention that other countries are fundamentally dependent on the Druzhba Oil pipeline for their oil supplies,” he said.
“Therefore, such a threat is obviously against Hungary’s sovereignty because the security of the energy supply is a matter of sovereignty,” he continued. “Therefore, if someone calls for Hungary’s energy supply to be made impossible, they are in effect attacking Hungary’s sovereignty.”
Responding to Hungary’s threat of blocking further aid to Ukraine, one anonymous EU diplomat reportedly told The Guardian that the feud between the two nations comes at a critical time of the conflict.
“The timing is miserable because Ukraine is on the eve of a large offensive to try to push back the Russian aggression,” making veiled accusations that those in the Hungarian government could have a “much more narrow economic interest.”
Another official meanwhile attempted to downplay the impact of the move from Hungary, saying the deliveries of European weapons would remain constant, with only the details of who is paying for the aid likely to change.
Hungary’s Orbán Shoots Down NATO Chief’s Claim that ‘All Members’ Back Ukraine Joining Alliancehttps://t.co/QQ8vPbpdaY
— Breitbart London (@BreitbartLondon) April 22, 2023
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