Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orbán addressed Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky in an open letter on Thursday, February 26th, urging him to immediately reopen the Friendship (Druzhba) oil pipeline and end an anti-Hungarian policy.
Orbán argued that Kyiv’s actions, including blocking the pipeline, threaten the energy security of Hungarian families.
In his letter, Orbán wrote:
For four years, you have been unable to accept the position of the sovereign Hungarian government and the Hungarian people regarding the Russia–Ukraine war. We also see that you, Brussels, and the Hungarian opposition are coordinating efforts to bring a pro-Ukraine government to power in Hungary.
He emphasized:
We, the Hungarian people, are not responsible for the situation in which Ukraine finds itself. We sympathise with the Ukrainian people, but we do not wish to participate in the war. We do not want to finance the war effort, and we do not want to pay more for energy.
Orbán concluded the letter with a direct demand: “I urge you to immediately reopen the Friendship oil pipeline and refrain from any further attacks on Hungary’s energy security. More respect for Hungary!”
The previous day, Ukrainian president Zelensky had asserted that repairs on the pipeline are slow due to Russian strikes, including the destruction of a line from the port of Odesa. He proposed an “energy weapon agreement” between Hungary and Russia.
Following a Defense Council meeting, Orbán announced that Hungary is strengthening protection of its critical energy infrastructure, citing the Ukrainian oil blockade as a political threat.
The decree was published in the Magyar Közlöny, with Defense Minister Kristóf Szalay-Bobrovniczky responsible for its implementation.
