Ukraine declines to take part in meeting with Hungary, Slovakia regarding Druzhba pipeline - Hungarian FM

BRUSSELS. March 16 (Interfax) - Ukraine has declined to participate in a trilateral meeting with Hungary and Slovakia to address the Druzhba pipeline operations, Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said.

"A trilateral consultation with the Slovak and Ukrainian energy ministers was scheduled for today, but the Ukrainian side ultimately refused to take part," Szijjarto said on X on Monday.

"This comes after our Energy Ministry delegation spent three and a half days in Kiev seeking dialogue," he said.

"All meeting requests were rejected, and EU inspectors are also not being allowed to travel to the site," he said.

"It is therefore clear that Ukraine is not restarting the Druzhba oil pipeline for purely political reasons, even though it is technically ready to operate," Szijjarto said.

Russian oil supply to both Hungary and Slovakia through the Druzhba pipeline, which runs through Ukraine, was suspended on January 27.

Ukrainian authorities said previously that deliveries through the pipeline were impossible because of damaged infrastructure.

Hungary suspended diesel fuel supply to Ukraine.