Yet when the state secretary reported from the Ukrainian border on Wednesday, he referred only to a four-member team, per 24.hu. According to his statement, the delegation included an oil industry specialist, a government official experienced in international affairs, and an energy market analyst alongside himself.
Neither Hungary’s Ministry of Energy nor MOL responded to press inquiries about the reported change in the delegation’s size.
Not very pragmatic approach, and an air-raid interruption made it worse
Ukrainian officials reportedly criticised the Hungarian visit for bypassing standard diplomatic protocol. According to the Ukrainian side, the delegation announced its arrival only when it was already on its way and sought talks with an energy minister who was in Paris with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Furthermore, Kyiv reportedly said the Hungarian letter mentioned only the capital as the destination and did not refer to the Brody station of the Druzhba pipeline, which had been damaged in a Russian strike. As a result, Ukrainian officials initially regarded the visitors more as a tourist group than an official delegation.
Despite the diplomatic awkwardness, the Hungarian team was received in Kyiv. During their discussions, however, the meeting was interrupted by an air-raid siren, forcing participants to take shelter temporarily.
