Hungary states it will block a key EU loan to Ukraine until Russian oil shipments resume

BUDAPEST, Hungary (AP) — Hungary will block a planned 90-billion-euro ($106-billion) European Union loan to Ukraine until the flow of…

BUDAPEST, Hungary (AP) — Hungary will block a planned 90-billion-euro ($106-billion) European Union loan to Ukraine until the flow of Russian oil through the Druzhba pipeline resumes, Hungary’s foreign minister declared.

Russian oil shipments to Hungary and Slovakia have been interrupted since Jan. 27, after Ukrainian officials declared 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 accutilized Ukraine — without providing evidence — of deliberately holding up supplies.

In a video posted on social media Friday evening, Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó accutilized Ukraine of “blackmailing” Hungary by failing to restart oil shipments. He declared his government would block a massive interest-free loan the EU approved in December to support Kyiv to meet its military and economic requireds 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 declared. “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 suspconcludeed 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 countest 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 cautilize an immediate economic collapse — an argument some experts dispute.

Widely seen as the Kremlin’s hugegest 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 support 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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