Hungary has suspended diesel fuel deliveries to Ukraine with immediate effect and will not resume shipments until crude oil transit via the Druzhba pipeline is restored, said Peter Szijjarto, Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade.
The suspension will remain in place until Ukraine restarts crude oil deliveries to Hungary through the pipeline, Szijjarto told a press conference following a government meeting.
According to the minister, crude oil transit was halted on 27 January.
Hungary cannot be expected to guarantee another country's energy security while its own supply is put at risk, said Szijjarto.
He noted that energy cooperation must be based on respect, not pressure.
On the same day, Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico said that the Bratislava-based Slovnaft refinery is halting its diesel exports to Ukraine, and all products will now be reserved for the domestic market.
Fico also warned that Slovakia would cut off power supplies to Ukraine if Kyiv continues to sabotage the pipeline.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha had earlier said that the Druzhba pipeline was no longer carrying Russian oil to Europe because of a Russian attack. This meant a halt to oil supplies to Hungary and Slovakia, which haven't been resumed yet.
However, Hungary accused Ukraine of cutting off power to that part of the pipeline. Fico likewise accused Ukraine of deliberately delaying the pipeline's restart in an attempt to pressure Hungary into dropping its objections to Ukraine's European Union accession.
The two countries have asked Croatia to permit Russian oil brought in by sea to transit across Croatian territory.
The Druzhba pipeline, which carries Russian oil through Ukraine to Central Europe, including the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary, has faced repeated disruptions since last year because of damage to energy infrastructure amid the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict.
On Wednesday, the Slovak government declared a state of emergency in relation to oil supplies, the News Agency of the Slovak Republic (TASR) reported.
The country will release up to 250,000 tons of oil from national reserves for the Slovnaft refinery, according to a government decision in response to the interruption of oil supplies via the Druzhba pipeline.
U.S. forces struck two Iranian rocket launchers on Larak Island on Sunday, with Tehran responding by launching ballistic missiles at two U.S. bases...
The death toll from last week's catastrophic floods in Nepal and Tibet rose to 939 on Monday, with 3,044 peo...
At least 11 people, including eight children, have been killed after a powerful explosion at a firecracker fact...
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan have concluded talks in Bishkek, the capital of Kyrgyzstan, as leaders gather for the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit.
Iran has reached an understanding with Oman on transit arrangements through the Strait of Hormuz, but the waterway will remain closed until the U.S. fulfils its commitments, a senior Iranian diplomat said on Saturday.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi accused U.S. government and Israel-aligned actors of manipulating energy markets to promote the war with Iran.
Russian strikes on the Kyiv region overnight killed 37 people, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said. Zelenskyy added that the Ukrainian capital was under "virtually nonstop attack" from drones.
U.S. forces struck two Iranian rocket launchers on Larak Island on Sunday, with Tehran responding by launching ballistic missiles at two U.S. bases in Jordan in the first direct U.S.-Iran military escalation in weeks.
The death toll from last week's catastrophic floods in Nepal and Tibet rose to 939 on Monday, with 3,044 people still missing, as fresh rainfall pushed up river levels and forced rescuers to move to higher ground.
Recovery teams are continuing operations in Grand Canyon National Park after flash floods swept through parts of the canyon over the weekend, leaving one person dead and leading to the discovery of a second body that has yet to be recovered.
Türkiye, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia have formalised their new defensive alliance at the grouping’s first high-level meeting held Monday in Istanbul.
Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian has stated that Tehran is not pursuing a military conflict but promised a strong response to 'aggressors' while the Army and Revolutionary Guards said they carried out retaliatory attacks against U.S. bases in the region on Monday.
Kyrgyzstan is hosting the sixth World Nomad Games, bringing together thousands of athletes from around the world for a celebration of traditional sports, cultural heritage and nomadic traditions.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment