Hungary has issued a threat to veto the European Union’s latest round of sanctions against Russia and to delay support for Ukraine until Russian oil deliveries to Hungary resume. The EU’s foreign ministers are scheduled to convene in Brussels on Monday to deliberate on the bloc’s 20th set of sanctions against Moscow, aiming for approval ahead of the fourth anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on Tuesday.
Hungarian Foreign Affairs Minister Péter Szijjártó, in a social media video on Sunday, declared intentions to block the sanctions package, alleging that Ukraine deliberately hindered Russian oil shipments through the Druzhba pipeline. Szijjártó emphasized that Hungary would not approve the sanctions until oil deliveries to Hungary from Ukraine recommence.
The disruption of Russian oil supplies to Hungary and Slovakia began on Jan. 27 following Ukrainian claims of Russian drone attacks damaging the Druzhba pipeline, escalating tensions between Budapest and Kyiv. The pipeline serves as a conduit for Russian crude oil to Central Europe through Ukrainian territory.
For the sanctions to be ratified, all 27 EU member states must reach a unanimous decision. While most European countries have significantly reduced or halted Russian energy imports since the onset of Moscow’s conflict in Ukraine, Hungary and Slovakia, both EU and NATO members, have continued and even augmented their intake of Russian oil and gas, receiving temporary waivers from an EU embargo on Russian oil imports.
Szijjártó also announced Hungary’s intention to block a substantial 90-billion-euro ($106-billion US) EU loan to Ukraine that aims to support Kyiv’s military and economic requirements over the next two years.
Hungary and Slovakia previously announced ceasing diesel deliveries to Ukraine due to oil supply disruptions, with Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico warning of halting emergency electricity provisions to Ukraine should oil deliveries not resume by Monday.
In response, Ukraine’s Foreign Affairs Ministry condemned what it termed “ultimatums and blackmail” from Hungary and Slovakia, accusing the countries of advancing the aggressor’s interests. The ministry highlighted the provocative nature of such actions amid widespread Russian strikes on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure and efforts to deprive Ukrainians of essential services during severe winter conditions.
Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, known for his close ties with the Kremlin, has consistently advocated for reliance on Russian fossil fuels, asserting that a shift to alternative energy sources would trigger an immediate economic collapse, a viewpoint contested by some experts. Orbán has repeatedly opposed EU sanctions against Russia, criticized attempts to target Moscow’s energy revenues funding the war, and vetoed EU initiatives to assist Ukraine militarily and financially.