Prime Minister Viktor Orbán at the Energy Security Council meeting in Budapest on February 22, 2026
The European Commission has called on Hungary to respect the €90 billion loan agreement with which the European Union would support Ukraine. The statement was in response to the Hungarian government’s announcement on Friday that if oil supplies via the Druzhba pipeline are not restored, it will prevent the disbursement of funds.
Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó announced on Friday that until deliveries resume via the Druzhba pipeline, Hungary will block the €90 billion military loan to Ukraine.
Consequently, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán convened the Energy Security Council on Sunday. The prime minister wrote on his social media page, following the meeting: “We will not stand idly by and watch the Friendship oil pipeline being shut down. We will ensure Hungary’s fuel supply and take the appropriate countermeasures until the Ukrainians resume deliveries.”
In the video posted to his social media page he said: “Ukraine is preventing cheap Russian oil from reaching Hungary via the Druzhba pipeline, thereby posing an energy security risk to Hungary. “We have averted this danger and made the appropriate decisions, thus there is no threat to supply security in Hungary today, and the country’s continuous, normal functioning is ensured,” he said.
At the same time, countermeasures were also decided upon: diesel transport from Hungary to Ukraine will not resume until we receive oil shipments from Ukraine.
They also decided that, with regard to energy supplies, namely electricity, where Ukraine is dependent on Hungary, they will proceed with caution, as there are Hungarians living on the other side of the border and “our enemy is not the Ukrainian people, but bad Ukrainian politics.”
The Prime Minister indicated that they had also decided to suspend the military loan that had already been approved in Brussels but not yet disbursed, and which required Hungary’s consent for disbursement. No military loans will be sent to Ukraine until oil deliveries to Hungary are resumed.
Until deliveries resume via the Druzhba oil pipeline, Hungary will not support any sanctions policy, and consequently we will also reject the 20th sanctions package proposed for decision.
“Once oil deliveries resume, normal relations will be restored,” said Viktor Orbán.
Balázs Orbán, the Prime Minister’s Political Director also emphasized Brussels’ lack of support in response to Hungary’s energy security concerns. He called the countermeasures appropriate.
Related article
Druzhba Outage: MOL Requests Release of Strategic Oil Reserves
If deliveries from the east are not resumed in the next few days, Hungary may initially need to release around 250,000 tons of strategic oil reserves.Continue reading
Via MTI; Featured photo: MTI/Miniszterelnöki Kommunikációs Főosztály/Fischer Zoltán
The post Brussels up in Arms Over Blocked Ukraine Aid, Silent About Closed Oil Tap appeared first on Hungary Today.
Source link
No diesel shipments from Hungary to Ukraine.
Hungary responds accordingly.
