Hungary reported that their delegation had gone to Ukraine for talks on the restoration of “Druzhba”. The MFA says it is not a delegation

A Hungarian delegation traveled to Kyiv to hold negotiations on the resumption of the “Druzhba” oil pipeline.

This was reported on March 11 by Hungarian government spokesman Zoltan Kovacs.

The delegation is led by Gabor Csepek, State Secretary of the Hungarian Ministry of Energy. Speaking before their departure at the Hungarian-Ukrainian border checkpoint of Záhony, Csepek noted that the purpose of the trip is to “firmly represent Hungary’s interests at the negotiating table”.

Negotiations are planned to be held with Ukrainian energy authorities, ambassadors in Kyiv, and a representative of the European Commission. The Hungarians also plan to personally inspect the condition of the oil pipeline.

UPD at 2:50 PM: Spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Heorhii Tykhyi told reporters that the representatives of Hungary who arrived in Ukraine today do not have the status of a delegation, reports European Pravda.

"On the territory of Ukraine, this group of individuals has no official status or planned official meetings, so it is definitely incorrect to call them a delegation," the Foreign Ministry spokesman said.

He added that the Hungarians entered the territory of Ukraine in the morning according to the general rules for all citizens of the Schengen zone, using visa-free travel.

What about "Druzhba"?

The transit of oil through the “Druzhba” oil pipeline through Ukrainian territory has been stopped since the end of January 2026. Ukraine claims that supplies were stopped due to Russian attacks, but Hungary and Slovakia say that the pipeline is not damaged, and Ukraine, they say, is blocking the oil route "for political reasons".

Since Hungary and Slovakia are landlocked, they are critically dependent on this route for Russian energy supplies.

In response, Hungary blocked a €90 billion loan for Ukraine from the EU until Kyiv restores the “Druzhba” oil pipeline. And Slovakia said it would stop providing emergency electricity assistance to Ukraine.

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban wrote an open letter to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on February 26, accusing him of anti-Hungarian policies and calling for the reopening of “Druzhba”. In return, Zelensky said that he would not restore the “Druzhba” pipeline damaged by Russia, as it involves Russian oil.

On March 5, the Ukrainian president said that Ukraine is not blocking the European Commissionʼs access to the crash site, but considers its own confirmation of the destruction sufficient. Ukraine is waiting for an official request from Hungary and EU countries regarding access to the damaged infrastructure.

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