Budapest Demands Pipeline Repairs Before Supporting Sanctions
Hungary has announced it will block the EU’s 20th package of sanctions against Russia until Ukraine restores oil deliveries to the country. Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said that the EU would also withhold the €90 billion war loan to Ukraine until shipments resume. Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó explained that Hungary will not back the sanctions package at the EU foreign ministers’ meeting on Monday, citing the need for Ukraine to repair the Druzhba pipeline, which was damaged in a Russian attack.
The Energy Security Council also discussed electricity supplies to Ukraine, which rely heavily on Hungary for nearly half of imports. Szijjártó emphasized that any halt could impact both Hungarian citizens and ethnic Hungarians in Transcarpathia, urging caution in any decisions.
Tensions With Slovakia and Energy Security
Slovakia has issued similar warnings. Prime Minister Robert Fico said if oil shipments to Slovakia do not resume by Monday, the country may suspend emergency electricity deliveries to Ukraine. Oil deliveries to both Hungary and Slovakia have been paused since the end of January, following a Russian drone strike on the Druzhba pipeline.
While most European countries have sharply cut or ended Russian energy imports since the start of the war in February 2022, Hungary and Slovakia have maintained or even increased their Russian oil and gas supplies, benefiting from temporary exemptions from EU restrictions.
Kyiv Condemns Ultimatums as Dangerous Provocation
Ukraine has strongly criticized the moves, calling them “ultimatums and blackmail” that play into Russia’s hands. The Foreign Ministry condemned the actions as “provocative, irresponsible, and threatening the energy security of the entire region,” particularly amid ongoing Russian attacks that have left millions of Ukrainians in the cold during one of the harshest winters in recent memory.
Orbán, who has close ties with Moscow, argues that Russian energy is vital for Hungary’s economy and that switching sources could trigger an immediate economic collapse — a claim challenged by some experts. He has repeatedly threatened to block EU sanctions on Russia and has vetoed EU measures to provide military and financial support to Ukraine, making Hungary a key obstacle in the bloc’s efforts to pressure Moscow.
