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By Shane Croucher
Senior Editor
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Hungary has accused Ukraine of an "outrageous and unacceptable" attack that disabled a Russian oil pipeline supplying the NATO ally—and fired a warning to Kyiv about its reliance on Hungarian electricity supplies.
Ukraine said Russia had started the war, and so Hungary should send its complaints to Moscow instead.
Newsweek has contacted the Ukrainian foreign ministry for comment.
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Why It Matters
The Orban government in Budapest has diverged from its allies in NATO and the European Union (EU) on Ukraine, seeking to stay out of the war as others aid Kyiv's defense against Russia's invasion.
Instead, Hungary has criticized Western involvement in helping Ukraine and has sought to maintain its relations with Moscow, inflaming tensions with other European countries and Kyiv.
Hungary was the only EU member not to co-sign a statement supportive of Kyiv ahead of U.S. President Donald Trump's meeting in Alaska with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday, and it opposes Kyiv's ambitions to join the bloc.
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What To Know
Ukraine's armed forces last week said they had struck the Unecha oil pumping station in Russia's Bryansk region. The pumping station is located close to the point where the Druzhba pipeline splits into three segments, one of which supplies Russian oil to Hungary.
"This latest strike against our energy security is outrageous and unacceptable!" Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó posted to X on Monday morning, August 18.
Szijjártó said Russian Deputy Energy Minister Pavel Sorokin told him they were working to restore supply, but could not give a time frame for this.
"For 3.5 years Brussels and Kyiv have tried to drag Hungary into the war in Ukraine. These repeated Ukrainian attacks on our energy supply serve that same purpose," Szijjártó said on X.
"Let me be clear: this is not our war. We have nothing to do with it, and as long as we are in charge, Hungary will stay out of it. Finally, a reminder to Ukrainian decision-makers: electricity from Hungary plays a vital role in powering your country..."
What People Are Saying
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha replied to Szijjártó on X: "Peter, it is Russia, not Ukraine, who began this war and refuses to end it. Hungary has been told for years that Moscow is an unreliable partner. Despite this, Hungary has made every effort to maintain its reliance on Russia. Even after the full-scale war began. You can now send your complaints—and threats—to your friends in Moscow."
What Happens Next
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is heading to Washington, D.C., on Monday, August 18, for a White House meeting with Trump and European leaders. They will discuss a peace settlement and Russian demands following the meeting between Trump and Putin in Anchorage on Friday.
Updated, 8/18/25, 6:47 a.m. ET: This article was updated with further information.
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