Budapest Demands Pipeline Repairs Before Supporting Sanctions
Hungary has announced it will block the EU’s 20th sanctions package against Russia until Ukraine restores oil deliveries to the country. Prime Minister Viktor Orbán told the Energy Security Council that EU funding, including the €90 billion war loan to Ukraine, should not proceed while Hungary’s oil supply remains cut off.
Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó confirmed the move, citing the need for Ukraine to repair the Druzhba pipeline, damaged in a Russian strike, before Budapest will lift its objection. Szijjártó added that the new sanctions package is scheduled to be adopted by EU foreign ministers on Monday.
Electricity Supplies to Ukraine Add Tensions
The standoff isn’t limited to oil. Almost half of Ukraine’s electricity imports come from Hungary, and officials warned that stopping these shipments could affect both Hungarian citizens and ethnic Hungarians living in Ukraine’s Transcarpathia region. Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico issued a similar warning, saying that emergency electricity supplies to Ukraine could be halted if oil deliveries to Slovakia are not restored by Monday.
Oil shipments to both Hungary and Slovakia were halted at the end of January. Kyiv attributes the suspension to a Russian drone attack on the Druzhba pipeline, which feeds much of Central Europe.
Kyiv Condemns ‘Ultimatums’ as Energy Dispute Escalates
Ukraine has strongly rejected the actions by Hungary and Slovakia, calling them “ultimatums and blackmail” that aid the Russian aggressor. The Foreign Ministry said the moves are “provocative, irresponsible, and threaten the energy security of the entire region,” particularly amid ongoing Russian missile and drone attacks that have left many Ukrainians without electricity during one of the coldest winters on record.
Orbán, who maintains close ties with the Kremlin, argues that Russian energy is essential to Hungary’s economy and that shifting sources would trigger an economic collapse — a claim disputed by some experts. He has repeatedly threatened to block EU measures targeting Russian energy revenues and has vetoed EU efforts to provide military and financial support to Ukraine.
