BUDAPEST: Hungary will block the European Union’s latest package of sanctions against Russia unless Ukraine re-opens a key oil pipeline that supplies the country, Hungary’s prime minister and foreign minister both said Sunday.
“No support for sanctions; the 20th sanctions package will be rejected,” Prime Minister Viktor Orban posted on X.
“Until Ukraine resumes oil transit to Hungary and Slovakia via the Druzhba pipeline, we will not allow decisions important to Kyiv to move forward,” Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto posted, also on X.
“If Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky tells us to buy oil anywhere other than Russia even if it costs us a lot of money, we have the right to respond,” he stressed.
Ukraine says the Druzhba pipeline that crosses its territory to deliver Russian oil to Slovakia and Hungary was damaged January 27 by Russian strikes.
The European Union in early February proposed new sanctions against Russia, targeting the banking and energy sectors, its 20th package since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022.
The European Commission also intends to activate its anti-coercion tool, for the first time, to ban the export of all machine tools and radio equipment to countries where there is a high risk that these products will be re-exported to Russia.
All the EU’s 27 member states must give their approval before the new sanctions can take effect.
Slovakia’s Prime Minister Robert Fico said Sunday evening he would follow through on his threats to cut emergency electricity supplies to Ukraine if Kyiv does not re-open the pipeline.
On Monday, “I will request that emergency electricity deliveries to Ukraine be stopped,” he warned on Facebook.
“If Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky tells us to buy oil anywhere other than Russia even if it costs us a lot of money, we have the right to respond,” he stressed.