Ukraine Dismisses Hungarian Delegation Visit as Tourism

Kyiv has stated that a group of Hungarian citizens who entered Ukraine on March 11, 2026, do not have official status, dismissing their visit as tourism despite reports of intended negotiations regarding the Druzhba oil pipeline.

Details of the Visit

According to reports, a delegation led by Gabor Cepek, State Secretary of the Hungarian Ministry of Energy, announced plans to visit Ukraine to discuss the resumption of operations and assess the condition of the Druzhba oil pipeline. Yet, Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokesman Heorhii Tykhyi clarified that the group entered Ukraine utilizing the visa-free travel agreement for Schengen area citizens.

Official Response from Ukraine

Tykhyi emphasized that individuals from Schengen countries are permitted to enter Ukraine for tourism purposes. He stated, “We know that this morning a group of Hungarian citizens entered the territory of Ukraine according to the general rules for all citizens of Schengen countries, using visa-free travel.” He further clarified that the group does not have official status or scheduled meetings within Ukraine, and therefore should not be referred to as a “delegation.”

Tykhyi added that Ukraine welcomes citizens of other states who respect Ukrainian sovereignty and adhere to standard visitation rules, including those traveling for tourism.

Background

Heorhii Tykhyi has served as the Spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine since July 2024. Prior to this role, he was a communications adviser to the Minister of Foreign Affairs Dmytro Kuleba from March 2020 to July 2024, and previously held the position of spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs from March 2019 to March 2020. Source

Al Jazeera reported on February 24, 2026, that the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry reacted to the Russian delegation’s participation in a conference.