European Energy and EU Politics

Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó says Budapest will block a proposed €90 billion European Union loan package for Ukraine unless oil shipments through the Russian‑linked Druzhba pipeline to Hungary resume, accusing Kyiv and 'Brussels' of coordinating to halt transit and drive up Hungarian fuel prices ahead of elections. The European Commission’s plan, adopted in January, would raise common EU debt to provide roughly €60 billion in military assistance and €30 billion in budget support to Ukraine in 2026–27, with the EU reserving the option to use immobilized Russian assets to help repay the loan. Szijjártó claims the Druzhba disruption violates the EU‑Ukraine Association Agreement and Ukraine’s commitments to the bloc, while Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry rejects what it calls 'ultimatums and blackmail' from Hungary and Slovakia, saying the pipeline has been damaged by repeated Russian strikes on Ukrainian energy infrastructure and that repair work continues under threat of new attacks. Kyiv insists it remains a 'reliable energy partner,' says it has informed the EU and affected governments about the damage, and says it has proposed ways to supply non‑Russian oil instead. The standoff underscores mounting friction inside the EU over how far to go in backing Ukraine at the cost of member states’ energy ties to Russia, and raises the risk that a single government could undercut a major tranche of Western financial and military aid at a critical stage of the war.