Hungary would block the EU’s next package of sanctions against Russia, the Hungarian minister of foreign affairs said yesterday, the latest step aimed at pushing Ukraine to resume the flow of Russian oil through a pipeline supplying Hungarian refineries.
Shipments of Russian oil to Hungary and Slovakia via the Druzhba pipeline have been cut off since Jan. 27, when Kyiv said a Russian drone strike hit pipeline equipment in Western Ukraine.
Slovakia and Hungary said Ukraine is to blame for the prolonged outage.
Photo: AP
The EU is preparing its 20th sanctions package against Russia over the war in Ukraine. While negotiations are ongoing, many member countries would like to agree the package in time for the fourth anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, which is tomorrow.
“At tomorrow’s Foreign Affairs Council, the EU aims to adopt the 20th sanctions package. Hungary will block it,” Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Peter Szijjarto wrote on social media.
“Until Ukraine resumes oil transit to Hungary and Slovakia via the Druzhba pipeline, we will not allow decisions important to Kyiv to move forward,” Szijjarto said.
The issue has caused one of the angriest disputes yet between Ukraine and neighboring Hungary and Slovakia. Both countries are EU and NATO members, but their leaders have bucked the largely pro-Ukrainian consensus in Europe to cultivate warm ties with Moscow.
On Friday, Szijjarto said Hungary would block a 90 billion euro (US$106.1 billion) EU loan for Ukraine to fund its defense against Russia until the Druzhba shipments resumed.
The EU needs to amend its budget law to unlock the loan — a step requiring unanimous backing.
Hungary and Slovakia have also threatened to stop electricity supplies to Ukraine over the issue.
The Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Saturday condemned what it described as “ultimatums and blackmail” by the Hungarian and Slovak governments.
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