Hungary, Slovakia Accuse Ukraine of Targeting Druzhba Pipeline Amid Energy Dispute

Hungarian officials, including Prime Minister Viktor Orban and Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó, have condemned Ukraine's attacks on the Druzhba oil pipeline, calling them unacceptable and a threat to Hungary's energy security amid Hungary's opposition to Ukraine's EU membership bid. Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky suggested the attacks relate to Hungary's veto on Ukraine's EU accession, which Hungary interprets as a direct threat. Tamás Deutsch, a Hungarian MEP and head of the ruling Fidesz delegation in the European Parliament, described the pipeline strikes as a military attack on the EU and urged removal of Ukraine's EU membership talks from the agenda. The attacks have also affected Slovakia, leading both countries to demand action from the European Commission and to call for diplomatic pressure on Ukraine to halt military actions jeopardizing EU energy security. Ukraine has urged Hungary to diversify its energy sources away from Russia, while Hungary maintains that its energy decisions are sovereign and rejects Zelensky's intimidation. The situation has escalated diplomatic tensions between Kyiv, Budapest, and Bratislava, with Hungary and Slovakia insisting on protecting their energy interests amid ongoing EU accession disagreements.