Hungarian Foreign Minister in Moscow: Dispute Over Druzhba Pipeline and EU Loan for Ukraine

The diplomatic dispute over the transit of energy resources through Ukrainian territory has entered a new phase, combining aspects of national security with the European Union's financial policy. The latest reports confirm that the southern branch of the Druzhba pipeline suffered severe damage as a result of Russian strikes carried out in early 2026. Ukrainian authorities report fires and control equipment failures, emphasizing that damage to digital controllers is invisible from the outside. Budapest questions these explanations, accusing Kyiv of deliberately halting transit to force political concessions from the European Union. Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, in a letter to the President of the European Commission, directly called the situation „blackmail”, leading to a sharpening of rhetoric between the two capitals. Since 2014, following Russia's annexation of Crimea, the transit of resources through Ukraine has ceased to be merely a technical issue, becoming a key element of hybrid warfare and the Kremlin's geopolitical pressure on Europe.In the face of the crisis, Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó arrived in Moscow to negotiate guarantees for maintaining low oil and gas prices. The Kremlin officially confirmed that the main topic of talks with Vladimir Putin is „Ukrainian blackmail” and the situation of Hungarian citizens captured by the Russian army. In parallel, the European Commission is putting pressure on Kyiv, demanding access for international inspectors to the transit infrastructure. Ursula von der Leyen held an urgent conversation on this matter with Volodymyr Zelenskyy. This dispute casts a shadow over negotiations regarding a €90 billion loan for Ukraine, which Hungary consistently blocks, using its veto power as a bargaining card in energy matters. „Конечно, мы поговорим об украинском шантаже по поводу трубопровода Дружба.” (Of course, we will discuss Ukrainian blackmail regarding the Druzhba pipeline.) — Vladimir PutinThe situation on the front itself remains tragic. While diplomats argue over pipelines, Russian attacks in the Kherson and Donetsk oblasts claimed more civilian victims. Ukraine also reports the destruction of thirteen Russian oil facilities in the first two months of the year, part of a strategy to weaken the aggressor's financial base. Such radical actions by both sides indicate that the energy sector has now become the main battlefield, where Hungary's economic interests stand in direct contradiction to Ukraine's defense strategy and the common security policy of the majority of EU member states.