Hungary accuses Ukraine of lying about the flow of oil from Russia, among other things. The flow to Hungary has been cut off since Russian attacks damaged the pipeline that runs through Ukraine. Hungary claims that Ukraine is covering up the damage to the pipeline.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán threatens to stop deliveries “that are important for Ukraine” until oil supplies resume.
In connection with the threat, a transport carrying seven bank employees to Ukraine with gold and cash worth hundreds of millions of kronor was stopped. Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó accused them in a post on X of being part of a “Ukrainian war mafia.”
Ukraine's Foreign Ministry responded by summoning Hungary's diplomatic envoy in Kyiv to formally complain about the Hungarian actions.
Then, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha announced that they had “secured the release of the seven held in Budapest.” The statement said nothing about the assets they had brought with them.
Election in April
Hungary is also blocking the EU's new multi-billion dollar loan to Ukraine and new sanctions against Russia due to the oil embargo.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said that repairs to the oil pipeline are underway, but that it could take at least four weeks.
Zelenskyy is very angry with Orbán, who he believes is exploiting the situation to try to reverse a looming electoral loss in Hungary's parliamentary elections on April 12.
"They (the Russians) are killing us and we are expected to give poor little Orbán oil, because otherwise he won't win the election," Zelenskyy hissed on Thursday, according to the news site Politico Europe .
“Threats Hungary”
The president used even tougher words in his demands that "a certain person" stop blocking the 90 billion krona loan.
"Otherwise, we will give this person's address to our armed forces, our guys. Let them call him and talk to him in their language," Zelenskyy said - which was immediately met with an outcry in Hungary.
"He threatens Hungary. But unfortunately for him, he cannot stop me from protecting Hungarian families," Viktor Orbán writes on X.
The European Commission criticizes Zelenskyy's choice of words.
That type of language is not acceptable, says spokesman Olof Gill.
