Hungary won’t bow to Ukrainian ‘blackmail’ – Orban

Ukraine’s decision to block the delivery of Russian oil to Hungary via the Druzhba pipeline is “blatant political blackmail,” Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has said.

The transit of oil via the pipeline has remained on hold since late January, with Kiev blaming Russia and accusing it of damaging the infrastructure. Moscow has denied the claims.

In a post on X on Wednesday, Orban suggested that Ukraine is able to resume supplies, but is not doing so in order “to pressure us to support their EU membership and hand over funds belonging to Hungarian families.”

Budapest has consistently opposed Kiev’s bid to join the EU, arguing that it would drag the bloc into the conflict between Russia and Ukraine.

“Thankfully, Hungary has a government that doesn’t bow to blackmail,” Orban said, announcing that Budapest “has decided to stop diesel fuel deliveries to Ukraine” in response to Kiev’s actions.

A similar move was made on Wednesday by another EU member-state, Slovakia, which also relies on Russian oil from the Druzhba pipeline. Bratislava has also mulled cutting electricity supplies to Ukraine if oil flows don’t resume.

Hungary and Slovakia maintain that, as landlocked nations, it is impossible for them to 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 said Hungarian energy company MOL has signed the first contracts for supplies of Russian oil through Croatia, bypassing Ukrainian territory. The shipments are expected to arrive at a Croatian port in early March and be brought to refineries in Hungary and Slovakia within the next five to ten days.

When asked about the stoppage of deliveries via the Druzhba pipeline by journalists on Monday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Pekov suggested that “a sort of energy blackmail by Ukraine against an EU member state, Hungary, is taking place.” Peskov also said Russian oil companies have been looking into the possibility of increasing supplies to Hungary via Croatia.