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.
Writing on the social media platform X, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said Hungary would prioritise its fuel security and take countermeasures if Russian oil deliveries are not restored.
Orbán warned that Budapest would not remain passive while the Druzhba pipeline remains disrupted. He said Hungary would act to protect its energy supply until shipments resume.
He outlined several measures Hungary would enforce if the situation continues. These include stopping diesel exports from Hungary to Ukraine, rejecting any proposal to provide military loans to Kyiv, and withholding support for further EU sanctions against Russia, including the bloc’s 20th sanctions package.
Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó also said that Budapest will veto the proposed sanctions package, accusing Ukraine of deliberately restricting Russian oil transit through the pipeline system. He added: “Until Ukraine resumes oil transit to Hungary and Slovakia via the Druzhba pipeline, we will not allow decisions important to Kyiv to move forward.”
EU foreign ministers are scheduled to meet in Brussels to discuss the latest sanctions package. The bloc hopes to approve the measures ahead of the fourth anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Sanctions require unanimous approval from all 27 EU member states, giving Hungary the ability to block the package.
The dispute centres on the Druzhba pipeline, which transports Russian crude oil across Ukrainian territory to several Central and Eastern European countries, including Hungary and Slovakia.
Oil deliveries through the pipeline were disrupted on 27 January following reported damage, which Ukrainian officials have attributed to Russian drone strikes. The exact cause of the interruption remains contested.
In response to the disruption, Hungary and Slovakia suspended diesel exports to Ukraine. Both countries argue that the move is a direct response to the interruption of Russian oil transit.
Earlier this week Hungary blocked a proposed $106 billion (€90 billion) EU loan package intended to support Ukraine’s military and economic needs, linking the decision to the ongoing interruption.
Energy policy has become a major point of tension within the EU. While most EU member states have reduced or ended reliance on Russian fossil fuel imports since 2022, Hungary has continued to maintain partial dependence on Russian energy supplies under temporary exemption arrangements.
Orbán has argued that a rapid transition away from Russian energy would threaten Hungary’s economic stability. Critics, however, say the policy weakens the EU’s collective pressure on Moscow over the war in Ukraine.
The dispute highlights growing political divisions inside the EU over sanctions strategy, energy security and the economic consequences of the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
U.S. President Donald Trump says China's Xi Jinping agreed Iran must reopen the Strait of Hormuz, as Tehran prepares a new shippin...
Bulgaria has won the Eurovision Song Contest for the first time, taking victory in a final overshadowed by a boycott over Israel’s parti...
The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared an Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Uganda a Public Health Emergency o...
At least eight people were injured after a driver rammed a car into pedestrians in the northern Italian city of Modena, authorities said on Saturda...
Félicien Kabuga, one of the last remaining suspects linked to the 1994 Rwandan genocide, has died in custody at the age of 93, a United Nati...
U.S. President Donald Trump says China's Xi Jinping agreed Iran must reopen the Strait of Hormuz, as Tehran prepares a new shipping mechanism. Tensions over the U.S. blockade and stalled nuclear talks continue to disrupt global oil supplies.
Bulgaria has won the Eurovision Song Contest for the first time, taking victory in a final overshadowed by a boycott over Israel’s participation and the war in Gaza.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared an Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Uganda a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC), warning that the situation poses a significant risk of cross-border spread in Central Africa.
At least eight people were injured after a driver rammed a car into pedestrians in the northern Italian city of Modena, authorities said on Saturday. Four of the victims were reported to be in serious condition.
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Tehran has “no trust” in the United States and will only consider negotiations if Washington shows seriousness. His remarks came as talks on Iran’s nuclear programme continued, with Trump and Xi also opposing Iran acquiring nuclear weapons.
U.S. President Donald Trump said Washington could destroy Iran’s infrastructure “in two days,” while Tehran warned the U.S. would face growing economic costs from the conflict. The remarks came as Hezbollah reported new attacks on Israeli forces despite an extended Lebanon ceasefire.
At least eight people were injured after a driver rammed a car into pedestrians in the northern Italian city of Modena, authorities said on Saturday. Four of the victims were reported to be in serious condition.
Russia and Ukraine exchanged prisoners of war as well as the bodies of fallen soldiers, on Friday (15 May). The swap came as Ukranian officials said Moscow had carried out its largest aerial attack over 48 hours since the conflict started.
At least eight people have died and 32 others were injured after a freight train collided with a public bus at a railway crossing in Bangkok on Saturday (16 May), triggering a fire that quickly spread through the vehicle.
China has launched the world’s first experiment to study how artificial human embryos develop in space, marking a major step in understanding whether humans could one day reproduce beyond Earth.
Every day, an elderly woman in China’s Shandong province looks forward to a video call from her son. He asks about her health, tells her he has been busy with work, and promises he will come home once he has saved enough money. She tells him she misses him. He tells her to take care of herself.
At least eight people were injured after a driver rammed a car into pedestrians in the northern Italian city of Modena, authorities said on Saturday. Four of the victims were reported to be in serious condition.
Félicien Kabuga, one of the last remaining suspects linked to the 1994 Rwandan genocide, has died in custody at the age of 93, a United Nations court said on Saturday.
Tens of thousands of demonstrators took to the streets of central London on Saturday (16 May) as two large-scale protests unfolded simultaneously - one focused on immigration and national identity, the other held in support of Palestinians and to mark Nakba Day.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment