Budapest Refuses to Back Latest Measures
Hungary has drawn a firm line in its dispute with Brussels, saying it will not support the European Union’s 20th sanctions package against Russia until oil shipments to the country resume. Prime Minister Viktor Orbán made clear after a meeting of the Energy Security Council that no further EU war loans for Ukraine should move forward while Hungary’s energy supply remains disrupted.
Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó confirmed that Budapest will block the sanctions package at Monday’s meeting of EU foreign ministers. He said Hungary’s position will not change until Ukraine repairs the Druzhba pipeline — reportedly damaged in a Russian strike — and restores oil flows.
Orbán also stated that a suspended diesel delivery service would not restart and that Hungary would oppose the release of the €90 billion financial package for Ukraine previously agreed upon by the EU.
Energy Tensions Spread Across the Region
The dispute extends beyond oil. Nearly half of Ukraine’s electricity imports come from Hungary, a fact Szijjártó highlighted as a reason for caution. He warned that any decision affecting electricity supplies could also impact Hungarian citizens and ethnic Hungarians living in Ukraine’s Transcarpathia region.
Slovakia has taken a similar stance. Prime Minister Robert Fico said that if oil deliveries to Slovakia are not restored, he may instruct the country’s grid operator to halt emergency electricity exports to Ukraine. Oil shipments to both Hungary and Slovakia were halted at the end of January. Kyiv maintains the disruption followed a Russian drone attack on the Druzhba pipeline.
Kyiv Accuses Hungary and Slovakia of “Blackmail”
Ukraine has strongly pushed back against the pressure from its neighbors. In a statement, the country’s Foreign Ministry rejected what it called “ultimatums and blackmail,” accusing Hungary and Slovakia of playing into Moscow’s hands at a time when Ukraine’s energy grid is under relentless attack.
Russian missile and drone strikes in recent months have battered Ukraine’s infrastructure, leaving millions facing power cuts during one of the harshest winters in years. Kyiv argues that threatening to cut electricity supplies under such conditions risks further destabilizing the region.
Since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022, most European countries have sharply reduced or ended imports of Russian energy. Hungary and Slovakia, however, secured temporary exemptions from the EU’s ban on Russian oil and have continued relying heavily on Russian supplies.
Orbán, often described as the EU leader with the closest ties to the Kremlin, has repeatedly argued that Russian fossil fuels are essential to Hungary’s economy and that switching sources too quickly would cause severe economic harm — a claim some analysts dispute. He has also frequently threatened to veto EU sanctions targeting Moscow and has blocked or delayed military and financial assistance for Ukraine.
