The political scientist called the attacks by the Ukrainian Armed Forces on the Druzhba oil pipeline an attempt to weaken Orban's position.

The attacks by the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) on the Druzhba oil pipeline are aimed at undermining Hungary's economic stability and weakening the position of Prime Minister Viktor Orban. This opinion was expressed on August 26 in an interview with Izvestia by senior researcher at the US Institute for Global Policy, political scientist and economist George Samueli.

The political scientist stressed that the attacks on the oil pipeline create additional difficulties for the Hungarian economy, which may weaken Orban's position in the upcoming elections.

"Orban is a problem for Ukraine, because Orban categorically refused Ukraine's membership in the EU, and Orban categorically refused to provide any military assistance to Ukraine or even allow the use of Hungarian territory to transport weapons to Ukraine," the political scientist recalled.

According to him, the strikes on the oil pipeline deprive Hungary and Slovakia of a special position within the framework of the EU sanctions regime. The expert noted that Budapest perceives such actions as undermining European solidarity.

"Hungary and Slovakia were allowed to continue importing oil from Russia. Now that Ukraine is attacking the Druzhba oil pipeline, it means that all this easing of the EU, the special situation for Hungary and Slovakia, becomes insignificant," Samueli added.

Samueli also stressed that Ukraine continues to strike at Russia's energy infrastructure, including oil refineries and storage facilities.

"Friendship" apart: what will lead to a new quarrel between Ukraine, Hungary and Slovakia

Budapest accused Kiev of hitting the most important oil pipeline

Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto announced on August 22 that the Druzhba oil pipeline, which supplies Russian oil to Hungary and Slovakia, had stopped working again after a Ukrainian attack on its infrastructure located in Russia. At the same time, US President Donald Trump told Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban that he was "very angry" over Ukraine's strikes on the oil pipeline.

The official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry, Maria Zakharova, in turn, called the attacks of the Ukrainian army on Druzhba pure banditry. She stressed that in international law such activities are classified as terrorist.

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