Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó announced on Sunday, 22 February, that Hungary will veto the adoption of the 20th sanctions package at Monday’s Foreign Affairs Council in Brussels.
‘We will not contribute to the adoption of the 20th sanctions package; this will remain so until the Ukrainians restart crude oil deliveries to Hungary,’ Szijjártó declared. He called the halt of oil transit through Druzhba a ‘clear political blackmail’ by Ukraine, aimed at causing fuel prices to skyrocket ahead of the upcoming April election. He stressed that Hungary has released part of its strategic oil reserves and has already begun securing maritime supplies that are en route.
The move follows decisions made by the Hungarian government earlier this week to halt diesel exports to Ukraine and veto the €90 billion EU loan, a crucial lifeline for Kyiv to fill holes in its budget.
‘Ukraine is trying to ensure that Russian energy reaches Europe only on its terms,’ Orbán wrote on X on Friday. He continued by stating that Nord Stream was destroyed because it bypassed Ukraine, adding that ‘now they are blocking the fully operational Friendship oil pipeline’. ‘This is political blackmail and a violation of the EU–Ukraine Association Agreement,’ Orbán pointed out, declaring that ‘Hungary’s energy supply will not be held hostage’.
Slovakia, which also receives a significant share of its oil imports through the Druzhba pipeline—halted since 27 January—has given an ultimatum to Kyiv to resume transit, or Bratislava will cut electricity exports to Ukraine. Backing Orbán’s efforts, Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico also said that he would not support the €90 billion loan to Ukraine.
During his announcement, Szijjártó also spoke about cutting Hungarian electricity exports, which account for nearly half of Ukraine’s imports. The Hungarian foreign minister urged caution, noting that suspending supplies would primarily affect families in Transcarpathia, where mostly ethnic Hungarians live.
‘Our dispute is not with the people living in Ukraine; our dispute is with the Ukrainian state, the Ukrainian government, President Zelenskyy. Hungary does not want to cause even more suffering to the Ukrainian people,’ Szijjártó concluded.
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