Peter Siyarto and Sergey Lavrov.Photo: zakarpattya.net.ua
During an official visit to Minsk, Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó met with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov to discuss the preservation of the Druzhba pipeline as the main route for oil imports to Hungary. In his speech, Szijjártó harshly criticised the European Union’s sanctions policy against Russia and Belarus, stressing that Budapest does not accept any restrictions in its foreign policy. This was reported by the TimeUkraineIsrael portal with reference to the Voice of America.
Maintaining imports through the Druzhba pipeline
The Druzhba pipeline, which transports Russian oil through Belarus and Ukraine to Hungary and Slovakia, recently resumed deliveries to Hungary’s MOL after being suspended due to Ukraine’s sanctions against Russia’s Lukoil. Hungary, Slovakia and the Czech Republic were excluded from the EU embargo on Russian oil due to the lack of alternatives, but the EU has called on these countries to diversify their energy sources.
Criticism of EU sanctions and emphasis on sovereignty
At the meeting in Minsk, Szijjarto openly criticised the EU for its sanctions policy, calling it counterproductive and violating the principles of sovereignty. He emphasised: “Hungary respects its sovereignty and does not accept any restrictions on who we have the right to cooperate with. We are against the policy of sanctions”. According to the Hungarian minister, the country continues to defend its own interests despite external pressure.
Szijjártó also expressed concern about the world’s possible return to a policy of bloc division, warning that this would be a nightmare for Europe. “We need more dialogue, because without it, Europe becomes less secure and less competitive,” the Hungarian minister said in Minsk.
Hungary’s position in the context of European security
It is worth noting that Szijjártó was the only high-level EU representative to visit Minsk after the events of 2020, when Belarus brutally suppressed the opposition and subsequently provided its territory to Russia for a full-scale invasion of Ukraine. His return to Minsk, he said, is evidence of Hungary’s consistency in maintaining contacts with all parties.
In turn, a few days ago, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban visited Georgia, where he publicly supported the ruling Georgian Dream party, which has been criticised for its excessive rapprochement with the Kremlin.
US reaction to Hungary’s position
Against the backdrop of Hungary’s rapprochement with Russia and China, a meeting of military attaches and NATO ambassadors in Brussels discussed the consequences of Budapest’s economic “neutrality” policy. US Ambassador David Pressman said: “Hungary’s new policy of economic ‘neutrality’ and growing dependence on Moscow and Beijing raise security concerns for the United States and Euro-Atlantic allies.”
Given Hungary’s current presidency of the EU Council, its position on sanctions and foreign policy is becoming increasingly visible and controversial for its partners in the European Union.
