Druzhba Pipeline Ignites Firestorm Between Kyiv and Budapest

A sharp diplomatic escalation between Ukraine and Hungary is unfolding over repeated Ukrainian attacks on the Druzhba oil pipeline, a critical artery supplying Russian crude to Hungary and Slovakia. The dispute intensified after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy explicitly linked the pipeline’s continued operation to Hungary’s support for Kyiv’s European Union accession, a move Budapest has labeled as “crude blackmail.”

The exchange of heated statements followed a series of drone strikes by Ukrainian forces on the pipeline infrastructure in Russia’s Bryansk region. Hungary’s Foreign Minister, Péter Szijjártó, condemned the attacks as a direct threat to his country’s energy security and sovereignty, demanding they cease immediately. In a defiant response, Ukraine’s Deputy Foreign Minister, Andriy Sybiha, asserted that Kyiv would not seek permission for its military actions and advised Hungary to “diversify and become independent from Russia, like the rest of Europe.”

President Zelenskyy’s comments, made during Ukraine’s Independence Day celebrations, have brought the conflict to a head. When asked if he expected Budapest to lift its veto on the start of Ukraine’s EU membership negotiations, Zelenskyy stated, “Now the existence of ‘Druzhba’ depends on Hungary’s position.” Szijjártó reacted with outrage, accusing the Ukrainian leader of using a national holiday to threaten Hungary and equating attacks on energy infrastructure with attacks on sovereignty.

The situation is further complicated by the involvement of Slovakia, which also relies on the pipeline. Slovak Foreign Minister Juraj Blanár noted the irony that the Slovnaft refinery, which processes Russian oil from Druzhba, is a major supplier of diesel fuel to Ukraine, accounting for roughly 10% of its monthly consumption. He confirmed this information was relayed to his Ukrainian counterpart, highlighting the potential for the attacks to backfire on Kyiv’s own war effort.

Analysts suggest that Hungary, which has consistently prioritized its national sovereignty, is unlikely to yield to what it perceives as pressure tactics. While Budapest has not yet employed significant leverage, an escalation could see it reconsider its role in supplying energy, including gas and electricity, to Ukraine. This diplomatic standoff underscores the complex web of energy interdependence that persists in the region, even as Ukraine publicly urges its partners to sever all economic ties with Moscow.