Hungary Accuses Ukraine of Involvement in Sabotage in Serbia, Kyiv Denies Claims
Hungary's Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto has suggested that Ukraine may be involved in a purported sabotage incident on a gas pipeline in Serbia, prompting a strong denial from Ukrainian officials who point to a possible Russian angle in the situation.
In a recent video address on his Facebook page, Hungary's Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto hinted at the possibility of Ukraine's involvement in an alleged foiled sabotage of a gas pipeline in Serbia. This statement has sparked a sharp response from Ukrainian authorities, who categorically denied the accusations and indicated a potential Russian component in the unfolding events.
Szijjarto made his comments following a security meeting convened by Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban. In his statement, he noted that amid a global energy crisis, Ukraine is complicating the supply of energy resources to Hungary, which he believes may be linked to recent developments in Serbia.
During his speech, Szijjarto referenced explosions on the Nord Stream gas pipeline, which he claimed were initially attributed to Russia. However, he found this reasoning illogical, questioning why Russia would sabotage its own pipelines. He also mentioned that in recent weeks, dozens of drones have attacked the Turkish Stream, which supplies gas to Hungary, and that a recent terrorist attack that was thwarted in Serbia is part of these assaults.
"This foiled sabotage fits into a series of incidents where Ukraine is constantly trying to obstruct the transportation of Russian gas and oil to Europe," Szijjarto emphasized, attempting to justify his accusations against Ukraine.
In response to these allegations, Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokesman Georgiy Tikhiy firmly rejected the Hungarian claims, stating that Ukraine has no connection to the situation involving explosives found near the gas pipeline in Serbia. Tikhiy believes it is more likely that this is a Russian 'false flag operation' that is part of a broader interference by Moscow in Hungary's internal affairs, particularly regarding elections.
It is important to recall that on April 5, Serbia announced an attempted sabotage on the gas pipeline leading to Hungary, where large packages of explosives and detonators were allegedly discovered. Following this revelation, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban convened a National Security Council meeting to discuss the situation.
Notably, long before these events, Hungary had already heightened security around its energy infrastructure, allegedly due to a 'Ukrainian threat,' while Serbia deployed its military to protect the infrastructure that facilitates gas transport to Hungary.
The main opponent of Prime Minister Viktor Orban, the leader of the opposition party Tisza, Peter Madyar, believes that the alleged foiled sabotage at the gas pipeline in Serbia could be a staged operation aimed at disrupting elections in Hungary.
Investigative journalist and opposition figure in Hungary, Szabolcs Panyi, also expressed the view that this purported 'sabotage' resembles a staging that could provide Prime Minister Viktor Orban with an opportunity to divert attention from potential electoral defeats.