Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha on Tuesday said that he held talks with his Hungarian counterpart Peter Szijjarto on Russia’s attacks on Ukraine, bilateral relations, and Kiev’s path toward EU membership.
“During our call, I informed Peter Szijjarto about Russia’s escalation of terror and reiterated Ukraine’s commitment to peace efforts. We need the consolidated support of the international community to increase pressure on Russia and advance the peace process,” Sybiha said on Telegram.
He noted that discussions covered the upcoming visit of Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Taras Kachka to Budapest and consultations on the rights of the Hungarian national minority.
“Ukraine is ready to work on all bilateral issues in a mutually respectful manner,” he added.
Sybiha stressed the need to open negotiation clusters in Ukraine’s EU accession talks “as soon as possible” and called on all EU member states to back the move.
He also welcomed Hungary’s 10-year gas supply agreement with Shell, describing it as a “milestone step toward strengthening energy security for our region and all of Europe.”
“The security of Ukraine and Europe is indivisible and strengthening it is our shared interest. Pragmatic and mutually beneficial cooperation between our two nations is key, and we propose the Hungarian side to work on it constructively,” he said.
The talks were held following Ukraine's repeated attacks on the Druzhba oil pipeline — the latest over the weekend.
Ukraine attacked the Druzhba oil pipeline in Russia's Bryansk region, inflicting "comprehensive fire damage", the commander of its drone forces, Robert Brovdi, said on messaging app Telegram on Sunday.
The transit pipeline delivers Russian oil to Hungary and Slovakia, which continue to buy energy supplies from Russia, even after other European Union nations cut ties following its offensive on Ukraine in 2022.
