Ukraine questions the status of the Hungarian delegation in the negotiations on the Druzhba pipeline. The dispute has choked the flow of Russian oil and sparked accusations of political blackmail.
Ukraine confirmed the arrival of a group of Hungarians in the country on Wednesday after Budapest announced it had sent a delegation to negotiate the damaged Druzhba pipeline, which transports Russian oil to Hungary and Slovakia. However, according to Kyiv, this group has no official status, TASR reports, according to an AFP report.
“This group has no official status and no scheduled official meetings, so it is clearly wrong to call them a delegation,” Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokesman Heorhiy Tichy told reporters.
Hungarian delegation in Ukraine
Hungarian media reported that a delegation led by State Secretary of the Ministry of Energy Gábor Czepek will travel to Ukraine on Wednesday to discuss the resumption of the Druzhba pipeline and, if possible, check its condition.
According to the index.hu server, Czepek said that the delegation held talks in Bratislava with representatives of the Slovak energy sector and with representatives of the government.
Accusations of political blackmail
Oil from Russia has not flowed through the Druzhba pipeline to Hungary and Slovakia since January 27. According to Kyiv, the reason is the Russian attack on the oil pipeline facility. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico suspect Ukraine of political blackmail, which claims that it is working to repair damaged infrastructure.
