Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenković on September 26 sharply dismissed accusations by Hungary’s foreign minister that Zagreb is exploiting the war in Ukraine for profit, insisting Croatia is a reliable neighbour and a key supplier of energy to central Europe.

Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó accused Croatia’s state-run Adriatic oil pipeline operator JANAF of failing to transport sufficient oil to Hungary and alleged that Croatia was profiting from disruptions in Russian supplies.

“I indignantly reject the false theses of the Hungarian Foreign Minister that Croatia is a war profiteer,” Plenković told reporters in Zagreb, a government statement said. “Quite the opposite: Croatia is a good and honest neighbour that puts its capacities in the service of regional energy security.”

Plenković countered that JANAF has the capacity to transport up to 15mn tonnes of oil a year to refineries in Hungary and Slovakia, both owned by Hungarian energy group MOL. “All testing shows JANAF can meet these needs with complete confidence,” he said.

The prime minister highlighted recent investments to strengthen Croatia’s position as an energy transit country, including €560mn in new gas pipelines led by state-owned PlinaCro and a doubling of capacity at the LNG terminal in Omišalj on the northern island of Krk to 6.1 billion cubic metres of gas per year.

“With these capacities Croatia can fully supply its own needs and help meet the energy requirements of our neighbours,” Plenković said, adding that Serbia already receives around 90% of its oil imports through JANAF.

He argued that Hungary, not Croatia, is benefiting from cheaper Russian energy. “A profiteer can be called someone who is currently getting cheaper oil and gas from Russia,” he said. “Hungary has repeatedly claimed it lacks an alternative route, but it has been proven that a completely safe alternative exists.”

Croatian Foreign Minister Gordan Grlić Radman echoed Plenković’s remarks during a visit to Houston, Texas, where he promoted greater transatlantic energy cooperation. “We firmly reject the unfounded accusations of the Hungarian foreign minister,” he said. “Croatia stands out as a natural and strategic energy hub for Central Europe – providing secure, diverse and efficient access to energy supply routes.”

Grlić Radman underlined that Croatia’s location at the crossroads of the Mediterranean and Central Europe, combined with modern port infrastructure, makes it a dependable partner for regional energy supply and distribution.

JANAF also rejected Szijjártó’s allegations, calling them “malicious, false and hypocritical” in a separate statement.

Relations between the two EU members have occasionally been strained over energy policy since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Croatia has sought to end its dependence on Russian oil and gas, banning Russian crude imports from 2022 and investing heavily in alternative supply routes, while Hungary has continued to buy Russian energy citing cost and security concerns.

Plenković reiterated that Croatia’s pricing for oil transit is in line with European Union norms and depends on contract length and volume, not political considerations. “The prices we offer are comparable to all EU levels,” he said.

“We are the good guy here,” the prime minister added.