MOSCOW, March 4 (Reuters) - Russian President Vladimir Putin will hold talks with Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto later on Wednesday and discuss Ukraine's "blackmailing" of Slovakia and
Putin to Address Ukrainian Oil Supply Blackmail with Hungary’s Szijjarto
Putin’s Planned Talks with Hungarian Foreign Minister
Background on the Druzhba Oil Pipeline Disruption
MOSCOW, March 4 (Reuters) - Russian President Vladimir Putin will hold talks with Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto later on Wednesday and discuss Ukraine's "blackmailing" of Slovakia and Hungary over oil supplies, the Kremlin said.
Kyiv has said that the Ukrainian branch of the Druzhba oil pipeline, which supplies Russian oil to Hungary and Slovakia, was severely damaged by fire after a Russian attack in late January and cannot be repaired quickly.
Accusations from Hungary and Slovakia
Hungary and Slovakia have both accused Ukraine - which has long been unhappy about them continuing to buy Russian oil - of deliberately dragging its feet over the repairs for political reasons.
Kremlin’s Response and Planned Discussions
Peskov’s Statement on the Situation
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Putin would discuss the matter with Szijjarto, a frequent visitor to Moscow, later on Wednesday.
Details on the Blackmail Allegations
"You know the buyers of our oil, such as Hungary and Slovakia, who are now facing blackmail from the Kyiv regime. This refers to blackmail related to the deliberate blocking of supplies via the Druzhba oil pipeline. Of course, this will be discussed today," said Peskov.
Broader European Energy Context
He told reporters on the same conference call that Russia had not been contacted by other European countries asking it to resume energy supplies given the situation in Iran.
(Reporting by Anastasia LyrchikovaEditing by Andrew Osborn)
