Hungary will cut natural gas supplies to Ukraine until Russian oil deliveries resume

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BUDAPEST, Hungary (AP) — Hungary will gradually cut off gas supplies to Ukraine until Russian oil deliveries resume through the Druzhba pipeline, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said on Wednesday.

The transit of natural gas through Hungary plays a key role in fulfilling the energy needs of Ukraine, now in its fourth year of war with Russia.

Russian oil supplies to Hungary and Slovakia have been halted for nearly two months after what Ukrainian officials say were Russian drone attacks that damaged the pipeline, which crosses Ukrainian territory, and that continuous strikes risk the lives of technicians trying to repair it.

The populist leaders of Hungary and Slovakia have accused Ukraine of deliberately holding up Russian deliveries. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said earlier this month that he is reluctant to allow Russian oil to continue transiting his country.

In a video posted on social media Wednesday, Orbán called the Russian oil stoppage “Ukrainian blackmail,” adding: “As long as Ukraine does not supply oil, it will not receive gas from Hungary.”

He added that Hungary would use the gas instead to fill its own reserves.

There was no immediate comment from Kyiv and a Hungarian government spokesperson did not respond to a request for comment by The Associated Press.

Ukraine imports a major portion of its gas needs through Hungary, amounting to around 45% of all gas imports last year, according to Ukrainian energy consultancy EXPRO. That number dropped to 38% by January.

Orbán's announcement was the latest in a series of retaliatory measures Hungary has taken in response to interrupted Russian oil flows.

Last week, Orbán, who is widely seen as the Kremlin’s biggest advocate in the EU, blocked a 90-billion euro ($106 billion) EU loan to Ukraine over the interruptions and vowed to veto any further pro-Ukraine decisions until oil flows resume.

The Hungarian leader previously ceased diesel shipments to Ukraine and vetoed a new round of EU sanctions against Russia.

Meanwhile, as he faces an unprecedented challenge from a center-right opponent in elections next month, Orbán has escalated an aggressive anti-Ukraine campaign, calling the country Hungary’s “enemy,” and accusing Zelenskyy of seeking to provoke an energy crisis in order to sway the April 12 vote.

He’s also deployed military forces to key energy infrastructure sites across Hungary, accusing Ukraine of plotting disruptions but providing no evidence.

Hungary and Slovakia have received a temporary exemption from a European Union policy prohibiting imports of Russian oil since Moscow launched its war in Ukraine in February 2022.