Hungary threatens to block EU Russia sanctions package over pipeline dispute

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.

• Hungary blocks $106bn (€90bn) EU loan for Ukraine over pipeline dispute
• Hungary, Slovakia suspend diesel exports to Ukraine amid pipeline dispute

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.

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