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Russian oil shipments to Hungary and Slovakia have been
interrupted since Jan. 27, after Ukrainian officials said a
Russian drone attack damaged the Druzhba pipeline, which carries
Russian crude across Ukrainian territory and into Central
Europe.
Hungary and Slovakia, which have both received a temporary
exemption from an EU policy prohibiting imports of Russian oil,
have accused Ukraine — without providing evidence — of
deliberately holding up supplies.
In a video posted on social media Friday evening, Foreign
Minister Péter Szijjártó accused Ukraine of “blackmailing”
Hungary by failing to restart oil shipments. He said his
government would block a massive interest-free loan the EU
approved in December to help Kyiv to meet its military and
economic needs for the next two years.
“We will not give in to this blackmail. We do not support
Ukraine’s war, we will not pay for it,” Szijjártó said. “As long
as Ukraine blocks the resumption of oil supplies to Hungary,
Hungary will block European Union decisions that are important
and favorable for Ukraine.”
Hungary's decision to block the key funding for Ukraine came two
days after it suspended shipments of diesel to its embattled
neighbor until oil flows through the Druzhba were resumed, and
only days before the fourth anniversary of Russia's full-scale
invasion.
Nearly every country in Europe has significantly reduced or
entirely ceased Russian energy imports since Moscow launched its
war in Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022. Yet Hungary — an EU and NATO
member — has maintained and even increased its supply of Russian
oil and gas.
Hungary’s nationalist Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has long
argued Russian fossil fuels are indispensable for its economy
and that switching to energy sourced from elsewhere would cause
an immediate economic collapse — an argument some experts
dispute.
Widely seen as the Kremlin’s biggest advocate in the EU, Orbán
has vigorously opposed the bloc’s efforts to sanction Moscow
over its invasion, and blasted attempts to hit Russia’s energy
revenues that help finance the war. His government has
frequently threatened to veto EU efforts to assist Ukraine.
Not all of the EU's 27 countries agreed to take part in the
90-billion-euro loan package for Ukraine. Hungary, Slovakia and
the Czech Republic opposed the plan, but a deal was reached in
which they did not block the loan and were promised protection
from any financial fallout.
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