Polish foreign minister Radosław Sikorski’s remarks about a Hungarian pipeline struck a nerve in Hungary, prompting Prime Minister Viktor Orban to denounce him on social media on October 22.
Sikorski’s Pipeline Comment
During a discussion with the Hungarian foreign minister, Radosław Sikorski said he expects the Hungarian leader to finally destroy the “Friendship” pipeline, which transports Russian oil to Hungary and Slovakia, and noted that oil could instead be routed through Croatia.
Orban’s Retort
Prime Minister Viktor Orban slammed Sikorski’s statement as “war‑psychosis,” claiming the Polish minister is trying to undermine a thousand‑year friendship and that sabotaging the pipeline would harm Hungarian families’ finances.
Sikorski Responds
In a follow‑up post, Sikorski warned that Poland could secure the necessary oil at a comparable price via the shorter Croatian route and urged Hungary to stop financing Putin’s aggression.
Context of Prior Criticism
Earlier in July, Sikorski had accused Orban of turning Hungary into the poorest EU country and warned he could leave the bloc, a claim Orban had already dismissed.
