Hungary has threatened to block the European Union’s 20th sanctions package against Russia, saying it will not support further measures until Russian oil deliveries to Hungary resume. In a video statement, Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó accused Ukraine of deliberately halting oil transit through the Druzhba pipeline. He said Hungary would withhold its consent for the sanctions package until oil shipments are restored.

 

The EU Foreign Ministers are set to meet in Brussels tomorrow to discuss the bloc’s 20th round of sanctions against Moscow, which are intended to coincide with the fourth anniversary of the Russia-Ukraine conflict. The 27-member bloc must reach a unanimous agreement for the sanctions to pass. 

 

Russian oil flows to Hungary and Slovakia have been disrupted since January 27, following reported damage to the Druzhba pipeline inside Ukraine. While most European countries have sharply reduced Russian energy imports since the war began in February 2022, Hungary and Slovakia have continued to rely on Russian oil and gas under temporary EU exemptions.