Hungary issues tough ultimatum to Ukraine over EU loan
Photo: Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó (Getty Images)
Hungary will block a €90 billion EU loan for Ukraine, demanding the restoration of oil transit through the Druzhba pipeline, stated Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó in his post.
Read also: Hungary threatens countermeasures against Ukraine over Druzhba pipeline halt
Accusations of blackmail
The Hungarian minister called Kyiv’s actions to halt oil transit "blackmail," allegedly coordinated with European institutions. According to him, Ukraine is trying to provoke a fuel crisis in Hungary.
“Ukraine is blackmailing Hungary by halting oil transit... to create supply disruptions in Hungary and push fuel prices higher before the elections," Szijjártó said.
He added that Budapest considers such steps a violation of existing international agreements.
Budapest’s demands
Szijjártó emphasized that Hungary will not change its position on financial aid to Ukraine until transit is fully restored.
According to the Hungarian side, Kyiv is neglecting its obligations to its partners.
"By blocking oil transit to Hungary through the Druzhba pipeline, Ukraine violates the EU-Ukraine Association Agreement, breaching its commitments to the European Union. We will not give in to this blackmail," the Hungarian Foreign Minister stated.
Ukraine is under pressure from Hungary
The situation around the Druzhba pipeline has escalated tensions between Kyiv and Budapest.
Hungary had already threatened countermeasures over the halt in Russian oil transit.
Later, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán officially blocked the critically important €90 billion loan for Ukraine, linking financial aid to the energy issue.
Experts are currently analyzing whether Ukraine can withstand this energy blackmail and the legal consequences of the pipeline’s shutdown.
Meanwhile, at the EU level, discussions continue on whether Ukraine will be required to urgently repair infrastructure to resume oil flows.
