Budapest Demands Pipeline Repairs Before Approving Sanctions
Hungary has announced it will block the EU’s 20th sanctions package against Russia until oil deliveries to the country are restored. Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said no further EU war loans to Ukraine would be supported while Hungary’s supply remains cut.
Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó added that the EU will continue to delay sanctions adoption until Ukraine fixes the Druzhba pipeline, which was damaged in a Russian drone attack, and resumes shipments to Hungary. Diesel deliveries halted this week will not be restarted under current conditions.
Electricity Tensions Add to the Standoff
The Energy Security Council also discussed electricity supplies to Ukraine, which rely heavily on Hungary, providing almost half of the country’s imports. Szijjártó warned that stopping these exports would affect both Hungarian citizens and ethnic Hungarians in Ukraine’s Transcarpathia region, emphasizing the need for caution.
Slovakia has made similar warnings. Prime Minister Robert Fico said that if oil deliveries to Slovakia are not resumed by Monday, emergency electricity supplies to Ukraine could be cut. Oil shipments to both Hungary and Slovakia were halted at the end of January.
Kyiv Condemns ‘Ultimatums’
Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry denounced the actions by Hungary and Slovakia as “ultimatums and blackmail,” accusing both countries of playing into Russia’s hands. The ministry highlighted that Russian missile and drone attacks have already damaged Ukraine’s energy grid, leaving civilians without heating or electricity during a severe winter.
Hungary’s Orbán, known for his close ties to Moscow, has long argued that Russian energy is essential for the Hungarian economy, claiming a switch to alternative sources would trigger an economic collapse—a point disputed by some experts. He has repeatedly threatened to block EU sanctions on Russia and has vetoed military and financial aid to Ukraine, making Budapest a key obstacle to the bloc’s unified response to Moscow’s war.
