Hungary will gradually halt gas supplies to Ukraine until oil deliveries resume via the Druzhba pipeline, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said on Wednesday.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has refused to lift his opposition to a €90 billion ($104 billion) European Union loan to help Ukraine keep up its fight against Russia’s invasion, following a meeting of EU leaders in Brussels on Thursday (19 March).
Ukraine has accused Hungary of taking seven employees of a state-owned bank hostage in Budapest.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova on Thursday (26 February) accused Ukraine of threatening Europe’s energy security by halting oil flows through the Druzhba oil pipeline to Hungary and Slovakia.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has suggested that Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán should block financial support to Russia rather than Ukraine, as Budapest opposes the European Union’s 20th sanctions package against Moscow.
European Union Foreign Policy Chief Kaja Kallas has said the bloc is unlikely to reach agreement on a new package of sanctions against Russia at Monday’s meeting of EU foreign ministers, as continued Hungarian opposition keeps consensus out of reach.
Hungary has said it will block the European Union’s latest sanctions package against Russia unless oil supplies through the Druzhba pipeline are restored, deepening a dispute with Brussels and Kyiv over energy security.
Hungary announced on Friday it was blocking a €90 billion ($106 billion) European Union loan intended to support Ukraine’s 2026–2027 budget and military needs, citing disruptions to Russian oil deliveries via the Druzhba pipeline.
Hungary will release 250,000 tonnes of crude oil from its strategic reserves following a halt in flows on the Druzhba pipeline. The decision was announced in a government decree published late on Thursday.
Hungary has suspended diesel fuel deliveries to Ukraine with immediate effect and will not resume shipments until crude oil transit via the Druzhba pipeline is restored, said Peter Szijjarto, Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Washington is ready to pursue diplomacy with Iran as nuclear talks resume in Geneva, using a visit to Budapest on Monday (16 January) to reaffirm both U.S. negotiating aims and strong ties with Hungary ahead of its April election.
Polish prosecutors have requested a European arrest warrant for former Justice Minister Zbigniew Ziobro, who was granted political asylum in Hungary last month, amid allegations of large-scale misuse of public funds and abuse of power.
Hungary has vowed legal action against the European Union over a planned ban on Russian gas imports by 2027, after Brussels said national objections would not override EU law.
The 27 European Union member states have approved €20 million (approximately $23.3 million) in assistance for Armenia from the European Peace Facility, following Hungary’s decision to lift its earlier veto, European media reported on Wednesday (28 January).
Hungary will take legal action at the European Union’s top court to challenge new EU rules phasing out imports of Russian gas, Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said on Monday.
China said on Tuesday that the United States has invited Beijing to take part in President Donald Trump’s proposed 'Board of Peace' initiative on Gaza.
Hungary’s foreign minister on Wednesday criticised European plans to establish military hubs in Ukraine, saying the move risks pushing Europe closer to a direct confrontation with Russia.
Hungary’s European Union affairs minister on Monday criticised an EU statement on Venezuela, calling it evidence of “the deep crisis” in the bloc’s foreign policy.
Russia’s pipeline gas exports to Europe fell 44% in 2025, reaching their lowest level since the 1970s. This sharp decline follows the closure of Ukraine's transit route and the EU's commitment to phase out Russian fossil fuels amid the ongoing conflict with Ukraine.
Thousands of Hungarians marched to the offices of Prime Minister Viktor Orban on Saturday (13 December) in protest over a physical abuse scandal at a state-run juvenile detention centre. The demonstration was led by opposition leader Peter Magyar, who called on Orban to resign.
Hungary has strongly criticised NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte’s warning that Russia could be capable of attacking the alliance within five years, with Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó describing the remarks as irresponsible and dangerous.
Azerbaijan’s Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov is holding a round of political and energy focused talks in Hungary as both governments work to expand a partnership that has steadily deepened in recent years.
Baku and Budapest strengthen diplomatic relations as Azerbaijan’s Foreign Minister, Jeyhun Bayramov, began a working visit to Hungary on, Wednesday, 10 December.
Hungary’s move to secure guaranteed Russian gas transit through Türkiye has stabilised a key supply corridor, but the country’s continued reliance on Moscow raises questions.
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