Hungary's Viktor Orban has accused Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelenskiy of slow-walking repairs to a damaged pipeline running across Ukrainian territory. Photograph: Olivier Hoslet/EPAA simmering dispute between Ukraine and Hungary has spun into a full-blown diplomatic crisis, with Kyiv accusing Hungarian authorities of taking several Ukrainian bank employees “hostage”, along with tens of millions of euros they were transporting. Orban has accused Zelenskiy of slow-walking repairs to a damaged pipeline running across Ukrainian territory, which brings cheap oil from Russia to Hungary and Slovakia. “The cargo was registered in accordance with international transportation rules and current European customs procedures,” the Ukrainian public bank said. Ukraine’s foreign minister Andrii Sybiha accused the Hungarian authorities of taking “seven Ukrainian citizens hostage” and “stealing money” belonging to the state bank.

Source: The Irish Times March 06, 2026 21:21 UTC