Budapest Refuses to Back New Measures
Hungary has made clear it will not support the European Union’s latest sanctions package against Russia unless oil shipments to the country are restored. Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said after a meeting of the Energy Security Council that no further EU funds — including a planned €90 billion war loan for Ukraine — should be released while Hungary’s oil supplies remain cut off.
Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó confirmed that Budapest will block the 20th round of EU sanctions, which is set to be discussed by foreign ministers. He said Hungary’s position will not change until Ukraine repairs the Druzhba pipeline, reportedly damaged during a Russian strike, and resumes deliveries.
Orbán also stated that a diesel delivery service halted earlier in the week will not restart under current conditions.
Electricity Supplies Caught in the Crossfire
Energy tensions are not limited to oil. Almost half of Ukraine’s electricity imports come from Hungary, a fact Szijjártó said requires careful consideration. He warned that stopping exports could also affect Hungarian citizens and ethnic Hungarians living in Ukraine’s Transcarpathia region.
Slovakia has voiced similar concerns. Prime Minister Robert Fico said that if oil deliveries to Slovakia are not restored, he would ask the country’s grid operator to suspend emergency electricity supplies to Ukraine. Shipments to both Hungary and Slovakia reportedly stopped at the end of January. Kyiv says the disruption followed a Russian drone attack on the Druzhba pipeline.
Kyiv Condemns ‘Ultimatums’
Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry has sharply criticized Hungary and Slovakia, accusing them of issuing “ultimatums and blackmail” at a time when Russian missile and drone strikes have severely damaged Ukraine’s energy infrastructure. Officials in Kyiv argue that such pressure only benefits Moscow, especially as Ukrainians endure one of the coldest winters in recent years with frequent power outages.
Since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022, most European countries have significantly reduced or ended their reliance on Russian energy. Hungary and Slovakia, however, secured temporary exemptions from the EU ban on Russian oil and have continued importing Russian oil and gas.
Orbán, often described as the EU leader with the closest ties to the Kremlin, has repeatedly argued that Russian fossil fuels are vital to Hungary’s economy and that cutting them off abruptly would cause serious economic harm — a claim disputed by some experts. He has frequently threatened to block EU sanctions targeting Russia and has previously delayed or vetoed EU military and financial support for Ukraine.
