Budapest Demands Pipeline Repairs Before Backing Sanctions
Hungary has declared it will block the EU’s 20th sanctions package against Russia until Ukrainian oil shipments to the country resume. Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said after a meeting with the Energy Security Council that no EU war loans or financial aid to Ukraine will move forward while Hungary’s oil supply remains cut off.
Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó added that the sanctions, scheduled for adoption at an EU foreign ministers’ meeting, would be withheld until Ukraine repairs the Druzhba pipeline, damaged in a Russian strike. Orbán also confirmed that a diesel delivery service, halted earlier this week, will not restart until the issue is resolved.
Electricity Exports to Ukraine Under Threat
Energy tensions extend beyond oil. Nearly half of Ukraine’s electricity imports come from Hungary, raising concerns that halting supplies could affect both Hungarian citizens and ethnic Hungarians in Transcarpathia. Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico issued a similar warning, stating that emergency electricity supplies to Ukraine could be stopped if oil shipments are not restored. Deliveries to both Hungary and Slovakia were suspended at the end of January, following a Russian drone attack on the Druzhba pipeline.
Kyiv Accuses Hungary and Slovakia of Playing Into Russian Hands
Ukraine has condemned the actions as “ultimatums and blackmail,” accusing Hungary and Slovakia of aiding Russian aggression. The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry called the moves “provocative and irresponsible,” noting that Russian missile and drone attacks have left millions without electricity during one of the country’s harshest winters.
Orbán, who maintains one of the closest relationships with the Kremlin among EU leaders, argues that Russian energy is vital for Hungary’s economy and that switching sources could trigger an economic collapse—a claim disputed by some experts. He has repeatedly threatened to block EU sanctions on Moscow, opposed attempts to target Russian energy revenues, and vetoed EU efforts to provide military and financial support to Ukraine.
