European Commission unaware of Hungarian delegation's activities in Ukraine, seeks its own Druzhba inspection
European Commission spokesperson Anna-Kaisa Itkonen has said that the Commission has asked Ukraine to allow the EU to send a mission to inspect the Druzhba oil pipeline, adding that she has no information about the Hungarian delegation currently in Ukraine.
Source: European Pravda
Quote: "I can update you that we have proposed a mission to inspect the [Druzhba] pipeline to Ukraine."
Details: Itkonen clarified that the EU had proposed sending a mission to Ukraine and was awaiting a response.
Asked about the delegation sent to Ukraine by Hungary, the spokesperson said she had no details.
"It's best to ask the Hungarian counterparts directly. [...] And we are still in contact with the Ukrainians, with our member states, but I do not have any details yet," Itkonen said.
Background:
- Ukraine's Foreign Ministry earlier said that on the morning of 11 March, a group of Hungarian citizens had entered the country without official status or any scheduled official meetings.
- Slovakia did not join the Hungarian delegation.
- President Volodymyr Zelenskyy later commented that he was unaware of what the Hungarian delegation was doing in Ukraine.
- Hungary's foreign minister subsequently accused Zelenskyy of lying and published a diplomatic note indicating that Budapest had requested the organisation of a meeting between Hungarian Deputy Energy Minister Gábor Czepek and Ukrainian Energy Minister Denys Shmyhal.
- However, a note from Ukraine's Foreign Ministry obtained by European Pravda suggests that the Hungarian side had not coordinated its delegation's visit to the Druzhba pipeline with Ukraine and had received official objections from Kyiv regarding the proposed format.
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