Budapest Demands Pipeline Repairs Before Supporting Sanctions
Hungary has announced it will block the EU’s 20th sanctions package against Russia until oil shipments to the country are restored. Prime Minister Viktor Orbán told the Energy Security Council that no further EU funds or war loans to Ukraine, including a €90 billion package already agreed, should move forward while Hungary’s energy supply remains cut.
Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó confirmed the stance, stating the EU package will not be supported until Ukraine repairs the Druzhba pipeline, which was damaged in a Russian strike, and resumes oil deliveries to Hungary. He also emphasized that halting diesel shipments this week would remain in effect.
Energy Tensions Stretch to Electricity Supplies
The dispute isn’t limited to oil. Almost half of Ukraine’s electricity imports come from Hungary, and Szijjártó warned that stopping these deliveries could affect both Hungarian citizens and ethnic Hungarians in Ukraine’s Transcarpathia region. Slovakia has issued similar threats: Prime Minister Robert Fico said that without resumed oil supplies, his country could halt emergency electricity exports to Ukraine. Both Hungary and Slovakia saw deliveries cut at the end of January, following what Kyiv says was a Russian drone attack on the Druzhba pipeline.
Kyiv Condemns ‘Ultimatums’ Amid Winter Energy Crisis
Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry sharply criticized Hungary and Slovakia, accusing them of issuing “ultimatums and blackmail” at a time when Russian missile and drone strikes have left much of the country in freezing darkness. The ministry said the moves “play into the hands of the aggressor” and threaten regional energy security.
Since Russia’s invasion in February 2022, most EU nations have significantly reduced or stopped importing Russian energy. Hungary and Slovakia, however, continue to rely on Russian oil and gas, with temporary exemptions from the EU’s ban. Orbán, widely regarded as the EU leader closest to Moscow, argues Russian energy is vital for Hungary’s economy and that cutting it off abruptly would cause economic collapse—a view disputed by some experts. He has repeatedly threatened to block EU sanctions on Russia and has opposed both financial and military assistance to Ukraine.
