Hungary to block EUR 90 billion EU loan to Ukraine – Szijjarto

According to an Ukrinform correspondent, Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto wrote this on his page on the social network X.

"We are blocking the EUR 90 billion EU loan for Ukraine until oil transit to Hungary via the Druzhba pipeline resumes," Szijjarto stated.

According to him, "Ukraine is blackmailing Hungary by halting oil transit in coordination with Brussels and the Hungarian opposition to create supply disruptions in Hungary and push fuel prices higher before the elections."

As previously reported, on January 27 Russian forces struck energy infrastructure in the Lviv region. It later emerged that a drone may have hit a section of the pipeline through which Russian oil is supplied to Hungary and Slovakia. Naftogaz confirmed the strike but did not provide details, noting only that it was the 15th attack on its facilities within a month.

Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha reminded Hungary that the problems with Russian oil transit were caused precisely by Russia's aggression and its strikes on the infrastructure of the Druzhba oil pipeline, to which Budapest has not publicly responded.

In turn, Croatian Economy Minister Ante Susnjar stated that Croatia is ready to help Hungary and Slovakia with oil transit, but not Russian oil, as it finances Russia's war against Ukraine. He said the Adria pipeline is ready, and therefore there are no longer any technical justifications for any EU country to remain dependent on Russian oil.

The European Commission stated that Russian oil could potentially be transported to Hungary via Croatia as an exception provided for under the EU sanctions regulation.

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