The Kremlin said on 4 March 2026 that Russian President Vladimir Putin will meet Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó. The talks are set to cover disruptions to oil deliveries through the Druzhba pipeline to Hungary and Slovakia. Russia described Ukraine’s actions as “blackmail” of regional states over transit. Ukraine said the pipeline was severely damaged in January by a Russian attack and cannot be repaired quickly. Hungary and Slovakia, in turn, accused Ukraine of deliberately delaying repairs for political reasons.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Druzhba will be one of the key topics of the meeting. No details were provided on when full flows might be restored. The dispute remains part of broader tensions over some EU states continuing to import Russian oil.