Hungarian Delegation in Kyiv on Druzhba Pipeline Halt

A Hungarian delegation arrived in Kyiv this week to conduct fact-finding talks on the suspended Druzhba oil pipeline, which supplies Russian crude to Hungary and neighboring Slovakia, amid ongoing disputes with Ukrainian authorities over the halt in deliveries.

The group, led by Gábor Czepek, administrative state secretary at Hungary's Ministry of Energy, crossed into Ukraine from the Záhony border crossing and includes energy experts, international affairs specialists, and a representative from Hungarian oil company MOL. Formed under a government decree issued on March 4, the delegation first consulted with Slovak officials in Bratislava, where Slovakia agreed to participate. Their mission focuses on assessing the pipeline's condition, negotiating with Ukrainian energy officials, and discussing reactivation with a European Commission representative and local ambassadors.

Czepek described the talks as substantive, noting that 17 countries have expressed interest in Hungary's position on the issue. In a video update from Kyiv, he stated that the crude oil in the pipeline belongs to MOL, which has already paid for the shipments. "MOL has paid for that oil," Czepek said,...