Hungary to halt gas supplies to Ukraine amid pipeline dispute

Hungary to halt gas supplies to Ukraine amid pipeline dispute
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán at a European Union leaders' summit in Brussels, Belgium, 19 March, 2026.
Reuters

Hungary will gradually halt gas supplies to Ukraine until oil deliveries resume via the Druzhba pipeline, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said on Wednesday.

Orbán said in a video on Facebook that Hungary would begin storing gas domestically instead of supplying Ukraine. “As long as Ukraine does not supply oil, it will not receive gas from Hungary,” he said.

He framed the move as necessary to safeguard Hungary’s energy security, adding that the government aimed to maintain capped fuel prices and reduced household gas tariffs. Orbán accused Ukraine of “blackmail” over disrupted oil flows and said further measures were needed to ensure stable supplies.

The Hungarian leader also claimed Ukraine had targeted a southern gas pipeline supplying Hungary, reinforcing the need to build up national reserves.

The dispute centres on the Druzhba pipeline, which transports Russian oil through Ukraine to Hungary and Slovakia. Damage to the pipeline earlier this year has disrupted flows, with Kyiv saying repairs could take weeks, while Budapest has accused Ukraine of withholding supplies.

The latest move adds to tensions between Hungary and its European Union partners. Orbán has recently faced criticism from EU leaders for blocking financial support for Ukraine, citing the same pipeline dispute.

Hungary has maintained that guarantees on uninterrupted energy supplies are essential, while critics argue Budapest is undermining EU unity during Russia’s war in Ukraine.

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