Photo: EPA
Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjártó said Budapest does not want to cause additional suffering for Ukrainians but warned that Hungary may block the EU’s 20th sanctions package against Russia.
In a post on Facebook, Szijjártó said decisions on electricity supplies to Ukraine must be handled with caution, noting that ethnic Hungarians live across the border and that any halt in supplies would primarily affect Ukraine’s Zakarpattia region.
“Our conflict is not with the people living in Ukraine or with Ukrainian families. Our dispute is with the Ukrainian state, its government and President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on this issue, and we do not want to cause additional suffering to Ukrainians,” he said.
At the same time, Hungary plans to block the adoption of the EU’s 20th sanctions package unless Ukraine restores oil transit to Hungary. Szijjártó stressed that Budapest will not support decisions important for Kyiv until the issue is resolved.
Earlier, Hungary also blocked approval of a €90 billion loan package for Ukraine after refusing to back amendments to the EU’s long-term budget for 2021–2027, delaying financial assistance planned for 2026–2027.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has said Budapest will not agree to the loan until the transit of Russian oil through the Druzhba pipeline resumes.
Oil supplies to Hungary and Slovakia stopped in late January after Russia struck infrastructure near Brody in western Ukraine, damaging the pipeline. Following the disruption, Budapest and Bratislava halted diesel exports to Ukraine and warned they could also stop electricity and gas supplies.
Ukraine has proposed an alternative route, suggesting the temporary use of the Odesa–Brody pipeline while repairs to Druzhba continue.
