BUDAPEST, Hungary (AP) 鈥� 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 said.
Russian and Slovakia have been interrupted since Jan. 27 after what Ukrainian officials said was a 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 , have accused Ukraine 鈥� without providing evidence 鈥� of deliberately holding up supplies. Both countries this week over the interruption in oil flows .
In a video posted on social media Friday evening, Foreign Minister P茅ter Szijj谩rt贸 accused Ukraine of 鈥渂lackmailing鈥� Hungary by failing to restart shipments. He said his government would block a the EU approved in December to help Kyiv to meet its military and economic needs for the next two years.
鈥淲e will not give in to this blackmail. We do not support Ukraine鈥檚 war, we will not pay for it,鈥� Szijj谩rt贸 said. 鈥淎s long as Ukraine blocks the resumption of oil supplies to Hungary, Hungary will block European Union decisions that are important and favorable for Ukraine.鈥�
Hungary’s decision to block the key funding came two days after it suspended diesel shipments to its embattled neighbor 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 on Feb. 24, 2022. Yet Hungary and Slovakia 鈥� both EU and NATO members 鈥� have maintained and even increased supplies of Russian oil and gas.
Hungary鈥檚 nationalist Prime Minister Viktor Orb谩n has long argued Russian fossil fuels are indispensable for its economy and that switching to energy sourced from elsewhere would cause an 鈥� an argument .
Widely seen as the Kremlin鈥檚 biggest advocate in the EU, Orb谩n has vigorously opposed the bloc鈥檚 efforts to sanction Moscow over its invasion, and blasted attempts to hit Russia鈥檚 energy revenues that help finance the war. His government has frequently threatened to veto EU efforts to assist Ukraine.
On Saturday, Slovakia’s populist Prime minister Robert Fico said his country will stop providing emergency electricity supplies to Ukraine if oil is not flowing through the Druzhba by Monday. Orb谩n’s chief of staff, Gergely Guly谩s, said earlier this week that Hungary, too, was exploring the possibility of cutting off its electricity supplies to Ukraine.
Not all of the EU’s 27 countries agreed to take part in the 90-billion-euro loan package for Kyiv. 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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