President Vladimir Putin will meet with Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó in the Kremlin on Wednesday to discuss the suspension of oil deliveries along the Druzhba pipeline.
Hungary depends heavily on Russian oil and gas imports, which Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán calls “cheap relative to international prices” despite Western sanctions over the invasion of Ukraine.
Putin and Orbán spoke over the phone on Tuesday, during which they discussed a range of issues, including the plight of Hungarians fighting for Ukraine who were taken prisoner by Russia.
It was the first known phone call between the two leaders since oil flows to Hungary and Slovakia via Russia’s Druzhba pipeline stopped after a Russian strike reportedly damaged the line in late January.
Hungary, along with Slovakia, which also relies on Russian energy supplies, has accused Ukraine of delaying repairs on the Druzhba pipeline.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Tuesday that buyers of Russian oil were “facing blackmail” and accused Ukraine of “deliberately blocking deliveries through the Druzhba pipeline.”
AFP contributed reporting.
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