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Hungarian delegation member refused to visit Druzhba pipeline for fear of being conscripted
A Hungarian fact-finding delegation tasked with assessing the condition of the Druzhba oil pipeline travelled to Kyiv with one fewer member than originally planned after a participant reportedly declined to cross the border into Ukraine due to fears of possible legal consequences.
The group had one member who had dual citizenship
The group, established by a Hungarian government decision on 4 March, was initially expected to consist of five members. It was led by Hungarian state secretary Gábor Czepek and aims to evaluate damage to the pipeline and discuss energy-related issues.
However, according to Hungarian media reports, one member ultimately chose not to join the trip. The individual was reportedly born in Ukraine’s Zakarpattia region and still holds a Ukrainian passport. Given the increasingly strained relations between Budapest and Kyiv, the person feared Ukrainian authorities might remind him of his civic obligation to defend the country in wartime.
In practical terms, this raised concerns that he could face mobilisation or conscription, prompting him to withdraw from the mission.
In case you missed it, here is a timeline of the recent events regarding Ukraine’s Druzhba pipeline. Also, energy pipelines are under fire, with alleged TurkStream attack and Druzhba shutdown risk. What does it mean for Hungary?
Delegation composition and purpose
Before departure, Czepek had said the mission would include two senior state officials with experience in international relations and two experts from the Hungarian oil and gas company MOL Group, which had been invited to delegate specialists.
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.
That really is completely insulting to send a delegation to Ukraine without first asking permission from the Ukrainians and their agreement to inspect their pipeline. No government is going to allow someone to come in univited like that and particularly after a month earlier calling Ukraine an “enemy” of Hungary. Anyone in their right mind can see that Orban simply wanted to provoke a fight for domestic political purposes. It’s so obvious.
This spam is getting so boring, it’s putting me off reading the comments section as it’s guaranteed to always be there. I don’t know why DNH tolerate their site being used for free marketing of what’s likely to be a scam anyway.
Ukraine’s legal basis for conscripting dual passport holders rests on a single, uncompromising principle: The State of Ukraine does not recognize dual citizenship.
While Ukraine does not explicitly forbid holding a second passport (it is not a crime), it does not recognize the legal authority of that second passport for anyone who holds Ukrainian citizenship.
Here is the legal mechanism and how it functions in practice:
1. The Principle of Single Citizenship
According to the Law on Citizenship of Ukraine, if a person holds Ukrainian citizenship, the state recognizes them only as a Ukrainian citizen.
The Legal Trap: If a man holds a Hungarian, American, or Israeli passport but was born in Ukraine and never formally renounced his Ukrainian citizenship, the Ukrainian military commissariat views his foreign passport as legally irrelevant paper.
The Consequence: He is subject to all civic duties, including mobilization (conscription), exactly the same as a citizen who has never left the country.
2. The “Border Trap” (Entry vs. Exit)
This is where the law becomes a physical reality.
Entering: A dual national can often enter Ukraine using their foreign passport without issue.
Exiting: Once inside Ukraine, if border guards identify the person as a potential Ukrainian national (via place of birth, previous records, or databases), the “exit” is blocked. Under Martial Law, men aged 18-60 are banned from leaving.
Embassy Limitations: Western embassies (including the US and Hungary) have issued alerts stating that if a dual national is detained or conscripted, they cannot provide consular assistance because Ukraine considers the person a domestic citizen, denying foreign diplomats access.
3. Closing the “Permanent Residence” Loophole
Previously, Ukrainian men with permanent residence in other countries (and stamps in their passports proving it) were allowed to leave.
The Change: As of June 1, 2024, Ukraine eliminated this exception. Men aged 18-60 who hold dual citizenship or permanent residence abroad are no longer permitted to cross the border out of Ukraine. They are legally categorized as “residents subject to mobilization.”
4. The Impossibility of Renunciation
To avoid this, one would logically try to renounce Ukrainian citizenship.
The Catch-22: Renouncing Ukrainian citizenship is a long bureaucratic process that requires a Presidential decree. Crucially, Ukraine has effectively suspended the processing of citizenship renunciation for military-age men during Martial Law. You cannot legally “quit” being Ukrainian to avoid the draft.
Summary
Legally, Kiev does not draft “Americans” or “Hungarians”; it drafts “Ukrainians who happen to have other documents.” The second passport offers no immunity on Ukrainian soil.