German Foreign Minister Johann Wadeful has announced discussions with his Hungarian counterparts on their country’s blocking of the 20th package of sanctions against Russia. Viktor Orban’s government has promised to veto it until Ukraine resumes oil transit to Hungary and Slovakia via the Druzhba pipeline damaged by Russian shelling.
“I am surprised by Hungary’s position. We will discuss this with our Hungarian colleagues. I do not think it is right for Hungary to betray its own struggle for freedom and European sovereignty. Therefore, we will once again address our arguments – both in Budapest and here in Brussels – so that the position is reconsidered,” Wadeful said.
Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski said he was not surprised by Hungary’s position. The diplomat recalled the blocked negotiations with Ukraine on its EU membership, as well as – payments from the European Peace Fund to states that helped Ukraine with weapons and equipment on a bilateral basis. Sikorski links the Hungarian government’s stance on Ukraine to the upcoming elections in Hungary.
“What fundamentally shocks me is that… Budapest was captured, actually twice, in the 20th century, but once by the Red Army. I would have expected a much greater sense of solidarity from Hungary to Ukraine. But with the help of state propaganda and private but government-controlled media, the ruling party has managed to create an atmosphere of hostility towards the victim of aggression, and now it is trying to use this in the general election,” Sikorski said.
Romanian Foreign Minister Oana-Silvia Choi expressed confidence that a compromise could eventually be reached.
“We already had difficulties in reaching consensus on previous packages, but in the end we reached a decision. I’m not sure if it will happen tomorrow or this week, but the strategy is the right one – to increase pressure on the aggressor. It is in the EU’s interest to make sure together that Russia does not increase its gains,” Choi emphasised.
EU top diplomat Kaja Kallas is sceptical about the approval of the 20th package of sanctions at the EU Council today as planned.
“We are doing everything we can to move the sanctions package forward. I have been in touch with member states who will try to convince those who are blocking. But given Hungary’s tough statements, I don’t see their position changing today,” Kallas summarised.
The day before, Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said that Budapest would block the EU sanctions package against Russia until Ukraine resumes transit of Russian oil through the Druzhba pipeline.
Kiev has not yet commented on these statements by Budapest. Earlier, the Foreign Ministry said that information about the consequences of Russian attacks on the infrastructure of the Druzhba oil pipeline had been brought to the governments of Hungary and Slovakia. It was noted that repair work continues. Also, as reported in the Foreign Ministry, Ukraine offered alternative ways to solve the issue of supplying non-Russian oil to these countries.
Read also: “Ultimatums should be sent to the Kremlin”: the foreign Ministry responded to the threats of Slovakia and Hungary
The other day, Szijjártó said that Hungary blocked a 90 billion euro loan for Ukraine, the provision of which was agreed at the European Council in Brussels on 18 December 2025 and presented by the European Commission on 14 January 2026.
He said Budapest is blocking this EU loan until oil transit to Hungary via the Druzhba pipeline resumes. He once again accused Ukraine of blackmailing Hungary by “stopping oil transit, coordinating with Brussels and the Hungarian opposition to create supply disruptions in Hungary and raise fuel prices ahead of elections” scheduled for 12 April.
Slovakia’s prime minister earlier announced his intention to stop supplying electricity to Ukraine if Druzhba does not resume operations. He said, citing Slovak intelligence, that repair work on the pipeline has been completed, and accused Ukraine of blocking supplies as a “blackmail weapon”.
Read also: the Foreign Ministry reacted to Sijjarto’s latest statement about the war in Ukraine
Although Kiev claimed that the disruptions, which began on 27 January, were caused by a Russian drone strike, Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fitzo said on 15 February that Ukraine allegedly delayed the resumption of oil flow to force Hungary to give up its veto on Ukraine’s membership in the European Union. Fitzo called it “political blackmail”.
As explained by Mikhail Honchar, an energy expert and president of the Strategy XXI Globalist Centre, on the night of 27 January 2026, the Russian Federation hit the linear production and dispatch station of Ukrtransnafta in Brody – the main oil pumping station on the Ukrainian section of the Druzhba pipeline – with a drone. After the impact, a large-scale fire broke out, burning crude oil in the largest tank with a volume of 75,000 cubic metres. It lasted for 10 days. The strike led to a halt in the operation of the LWDS and, consequently, in the transit of Russian oil.
Hungary maintains its dependence on the Russian energy sector, which caused criticism from the