Druzhba Pipeline Conflict: Verbal Escalation Between Ukraine and Hungary

Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha has responded to Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó, who earlier urged President Volodymyr Zelensky to “stop threatening Hungary” over the situation around the Druzhba oil pipeline.

Sybiha stated on X “You don’t need to tell the Ukrainian president what to do or say, and when. He is the president of Ukraine, not Hungary.”

I will reply in a Hungarian manner.

You don’t need to tell the Ukrainian President what to do or say, and when. He is the President of Ukraine, not Hungary.

Hungary’s energy security is in your own hands. Diversify and become independent from Russia, like the rest of Europe. https://t.co/G0JPu5xYHo

— Andrii Sybiha 🇺🇦 (@andrii_sybiha) August 24, 2025

The minister added: “Hungary’s energy security is in your own hands. Diversify and become independent from Russia, like the rest of Europe.”

Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó reacted to Sybiha’s post by saying

Stop attacking our energy security! This is not our war!

Slovak foreign minister Juraj Blanár and Szijjártó recently urged EU leaders to secure energy supplies and stressed the need for a swift end to the war. Ukraine confirmed its interest in peace and, ironically, also claimed it is invested in protecting critical infrastructure.