Budapest Blocks Sanctions Until Pipeline Restored
Hungary has announced it will block the EU’s 20th sanctions package against Russia until Ukraine resumes oil deliveries through the Druzhba pipeline, damaged in a Russian strike. Prime Minister Viktor Orbán told a meeting of the Energy Security Council that the EU would also withhold approval for the €90 billion war loan to Ukraine while supplies remain halted. Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó confirmed the sanctions package, scheduled for discussion by EU foreign ministers, will not be supported until pipeline repairs are completed.
Energy Exports and Regional Tensions
The council also addressed electricity supplies to Ukraine, which relies on Hungary for nearly half of its imports. Szijjártó warned that stopping these deliveries could directly affect Hungarian citizens and ethnic Hungarians in Transcarpathia, urging careful consideration. Slovakia has issued similar threats: Prime Minister Robert Fico said emergency power supplies to Ukraine could be cut if oil shipments to Slovakia do not resume. Deliveries to both countries were suspended at the end of January following the pipeline attack.
Ukraine Condemns Pressure Tactics
Kyiv condemned the moves, calling them “ultimatums and blackmail” that play into Russia’s hands. The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry criticized Hungary and Slovakia for actions that “threaten the energy security of the entire region” during a winter when Russian strikes have left millions without heat and electricity. Orbán, who maintains a close relationship with Moscow, insists Russian energy is essential for Hungary’s economy and claims shifting to alternative sources could cause immediate economic collapse — a position disputed by some analysts. He has repeatedly threatened to block EU sanctions on Russia and has vetoed aid packages for Ukraine, making Hungary a key obstacle in the bloc’s efforts to pressure Moscow.
